A Covert Affair
by Scarlet MacDuff
Summary: An undercover mission gone wrong in 1942 left IIA secret agent Meg Myeroff broken. Now it's 1943 and she's ready to start fresh again. Can the men of Easy Company, and one persistent officer, prove to her that all friendships, and romances, don't have to end in heartbreak?
1. Prologue

_Hey guys!_

_Soooo I decided to write a Band of Brothers story the other day...randomly... It's been a while since I've published anything on here so hopefully I get back into the swing of things quickly!_

_I will tell you right now that this story is basically completed. I've written the whole thing and now I'm just going through and doing MAJOR edits to it all. I'm thinking I may do like, one or two updates a week, depending on his quickly I'm able to edit stuff._

_As a quick side note for my story, I've tried to be as historically accurate as possible (aka checking dates, reading Stephen Ambrose's book, etc) but I will be the first to admit that history classes were never quite my forte. I will also be the first to admit that from time to time I have a tendency to make mistakes. I'm only human. Plus, since this is technically my piece of work, sometimes I just decided to go with my own flow and rewrite some stuff. Sue me (but actually please don't. I don't have that kind of money)._

_But for now, here's my intro/prologue/whatever you want to call it. Let me know what you think!  
_

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**A Covert Affair**

The sound of big brass music drifted across the street, seemingly calling to passersby to enjoy its upbeat tune as it floated out of the only pub in Aldbourne. The same pub that was currently filled to the roof with American paratroopers. It was ten o'clock on a Friday night after a long week of training for the war, why shouldn't they be out celebrating? Who cared if they had more training in the morning, they wanted to drink and by hell they were going to drink.

From the shadows across the street, a woman stood, watching the pub with calm eyes. Pulling out a compact mirror, she lifted it to her face, making last minute checks for perfection. Although she had just done her makeup before leaving her hotel room, she wanted to make sure the night wind hadn't done any damage to her masterpiece. Satisfied that her makeup was as good as it was going to get, she lifted the mirror, checking over her hair. Grabbing a couple bobby pins from her purse, she set the mirror down on a rock wall and leant down to look in it, using both hands to pin back a few flyaways. Checking her hair again, she nodded to herself before shutting the mirror and putting it back in her purse, simultaneously taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Her mission tonight wasn't any different from any of her other missions. Infiltrate, flirt, segregate... they were all part of her routine and she had done it so many times she could do it in her sleep. Still, she couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. It had been a while since she had been on the job, a year to be exact, and although her file laid it all out plainly so there was no way anyone could doubt her abilities, this particular group of superiors hadn't seen her in action before. She knew she had to act well her part so she could leave them impressed.

She had learned that military men often doubted skill level until they witnessed it firsthand. You could brag about shooting a bull's-eye every time you fired your gun but until your commanding officer actually saw it, it hadn't happened. That was what tonight was, a test to see if she could really live up to her file. She planned to blow their expectations out of the water.

As she began to walk across the street toward her destination, she thought through her personal directions one more time, knowing she could never forget them but worrying about it all the same. It had been over a year after all, and this type of work wasn't like riding a bike.

Step one: infiltrate. Become a member of the crowd and join in until you're actually accepted as one of the crowd.

She knew that one wouldn't be too hard. From asking around town earlier today she had found that many of the local women steered clear of the pub on weekends, specifically because of the American paratroopers. With their lack of female interaction, it wouldn't be too hard for her to be accepted by the men. Some of them had been in training for months, only having the weekends to surround themselves with civilians. She was pretty convinced that none of them would turn down the chance to talk to a pretty girl, especially if she seemed so eager to talk to them. All she had to do was play the innocent English girl who just wanted to flirt with the Yanks.

Step two: flirt. Use every female characteristic you have to string as many men along as you can. Make them interested without overdoing it and making them turned off.

That one would be easy as well. These men hadn't seen any type of action, militarily or romantically, in weeks. The presence of a woman would send them over the edge.

All she would have to do would be use a few coy phrases, bat her eyelashes a few times, and play the naive bystander and she would have them eating out of the palms of her hands. If one of them didn't fall for her charm, twenty more could easily take his place.

Step three: segregate. Get them one-on-one. Once you've built a rapport with all of them, build each one stronger. Men talk more when they're alone and have all your attention.

"Why don't we dance?" was her favorite way to get a man on his own. Most men would never turn down the chance to wrap their arms around a pretty lady, especially if she was the one to suggest it. She was willing to bet that most men at that pub wouldn't turn down the chance to wrap their arms around an unattractive lady either, but she was lucky she didn't have to worry about that. Plus, what American soldier wouldn't jump at the chance to impress a woman with all they've learned and done in their training? Most girls fawned over men who could claim they fired a bazooka at a practice target.

She repeated those steps again and again as she allowed the crisp fall air to push her in the front door of the pub. Immediately, the smell of stale beer and cigarettes hit her nose, making her head spin slightly. Getting herself under control, she set her coat on a coat rack by the door and then turned to survey the room.

Paratroopers in their Class As were spread out, filling the entire place well past capacity. This was either going to be very easy or extremely hard. Spotting a group of six men leaning against the bar, she decided that would be her best bet. Besides, she needed a drink in hand if she wanted to fit in to her best ability.

Her superiors were counting on her and she wasn't about to let them down.

* * *

_So there ya go! My intro/prologue/whatever you want to call it!_

_Please, please, **PLEASE** let me know what you think! Reader reviews are like candy to me, and since I'm on a diet for my cousin's wedding in a few weeks, wouldn't you rather I get tons of reviews than tons of candy?_


	2. She's Just a Woman

_Yay Chapter One time! I was so excited people seemed to like my "prologue." I hope everyone likes this chapter just as much!_

_I'm thinking about updating like, once a week. What does everyone think of that? Yay? Nay?_

_Since this is the official chapter and thus has the guys in it, I feel the need to say that I do not own Band of Brothers. Also, this story reflects my own interpretations of the characters of the tv show. It in no way reflects the real men, of whom I have the utmost respect._

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Gentlemen up and at 'em! The Colonel wants everybody in the mess in 20!"

The phrase was repeated by multiple men at 0600 Saturday morning and sure enough hundreds of booted footsteps soon sounded as their owners made their way to the base mess hall. Some were trudging along slower than others and some were very obviously hung over from the night before.

Expecting food to be served, the men were disappointed when they found the kitchen staff still working to get the meal ready, the serving trays empty.

"What kinda shit is this?" one of the paratroopers whispered, looking up at one of the men next to him with sleep-filled eyes.

"Fucked if I know," the taller man replied, pulling out two cigarettes and lighting both, handing one to his comrade.

"I just hope they feed us soon," a third man said, joining them. "I'm starved."

"Muck you're always starved," the first man joked, a lopsided grin gracing his features.

"Yeah well being starved and hung over is not a pleasant combination," Muck whispered to finish the conversation as Colonel Sink walked in, followed by all the commanding officers.

"Attention!" a voice shouted and all the men snapped to attention, some already standing, some quickly scrambling to their feet first.

"Take a seat gentlemen," Colonel Sink said, causing the men to relax and fall onto the benches that filled the mess hall. "Now gentlemen, I'm here today in regards to a very serious incident that occurred off base last night."

There were murmurs as all the men looked around at each other, wondering what incident he was talking about. A quick glance at some of the COs told the men that they weren't aware of anything either.

"I'm sure we're all aware of the phrase 'loose lips sink ships,'" the Colonel continued, ignoring the hushed, confused whispers that were still floating through the room.

"Well it seems some of you could use with some tightening of the old flappers."

A couple men chuckled at the Colonel's phrase, but the rest of them stayed silent, as was expected. It was obvious that behind the Colonel's humor, he was angry about something. The smart men didn't see a reason to anger him even more.

"Apparently though, it's not just us. This has been a problem on all the bases, 'cause somebody chose to send over some help on the matter. Agent Myeroff?"

There was a collective rise of the heads as a young woman dressed in a navy blue dress suit stepped forward from the back of the group of COs. No one had noticed her before, but now that she was in front of them all, it was hard to miss her. As she walked up to the Colonel, her presence was followed by masculine gasps of recognition from some.

The woman looked to be in her early 20s, her auburn hair cut to flow below her shoulders. The sides were pinned back, framing her face and giving her an innocent look. As she came to a stop next to the Colonel, she ran her hands down the front of her navy skirt. The move was obviously out of discomfort for standing in front of all the men, gaining their attention as if she were on display.

"Aw shit," the shorter paratrooper said under his breath when he got a good look at her.

"What is it Luz?" the taller of the two whispered.

"Joe you don't remember her? She was at the pub last night," George Luz told his comrade, leaning back in his seat slightly. "She asked me to dance and we chatted for a while about me being a paratrooper."

"Bragged is more like it," Joe said under his breath as Colonel Sink continued.

"Gentlemen this is Agent Megan Myeroff from the International Intelligence Agency. Ma'am why don't you fill these men in on what you learned last night? Just to give them all a little perspective to the situation at hand."

"Certainly sir," she said in her British accent, stepping forward and holding up a clipboard. "Gentlemen," she said in greeting, addressing them all. Other than nods of the head and a few "ma'am's," she didn't receive much of a response, not that she expected any. These men were eyeing her like she was a bloody German.

"Last night I attended the pub in town and got to know a few of you," she started with a twinkle in her eye. "I also got to know a lot more about all of you than I should. For example, I know that if I'm looking for a good time, I need to find Private MacDonall."

A few snickers went up at her statement and she glanced at the men over her clipboard before continuing, a smirk gracing her lips. "If I'm in need of a cigarette, I need to find Private Luz, who apparently will also impress me with his impersonations."

"'Ey Luz," someone called across the room and George waved femininely, earning a few more laughs and respectively breaking the tension a bit.

"I learned that Sergeant Smith is from Cleveland, Ohio and his family owns a steel business. Lieutenant Matherson attended a small town university but he usually tells everyone he was Ivy League to sound more impressive."

"Hey!" someone, presumably Lieutenant Matherson, shouted and a few of the men laughed.

"I was also informed that many of you are impressed with Lieutenant Winters' leading skills, you think Captain Sobel is ill-equipped for combat and Colonel Sink prefers his coffee with two sugars, which he keeps hidden in his desk because he likes everyone to think he drink it black."

"What!" the Colonel cried, looking from the woman to the crowd. "Who's been discussing my habits?" This response got a loud reaction from the men, who didn't seem to mind that they were laughing at the Colonel's expense. They knew they'd pay for it later, but right now it was too humorous to ignore.

After the laughter had died down a little, the woman's smile went away as she continued, her expression hinting at a serious change in the topics.

"I also learned that all of the men sleep on the left side of the base, you store all your ammo in the smallest supply shed in the far right corner, between the hours of 0100 and 0200 there always seems to be a lax in watch around the rear entrance, and I was given a perfect map of how to get to the quarters of Sergeant Talbert, including where to go so I don't get caught and what to say if I do get caught."

The room was completely silent. While Meg Myeroff's notes had started off humorous, they had quickly escalated into serious information; information that could cause harm in the wrong hands.

"Gentlemen this is completely unacceptable," The Colonel said, striding forward to take over. Meg took a step back, recognizing that her part in this lecture was done.

"Permission to speak Colonel, Sir?" a private toward the front asked and the Colonel nodded, giving him permission to continue. "Sir, she's just a woman," he said and all eyes turned to him. Meg's left eyebrow rose, impressed with this man's bravery to speak like that to his Colonel and offended that he didn't seem to see her as a threat.

"Permission to respond sir?" she asked and the Colonel nodded, stepping back to let her take this one. "Private...do you have a name?"

"Private Davis Ma'am," he said and Meg was quick to notice he had to be not much older than 18. His face certainly portrayed a look of innocence and she had a brief feeling of sorrow for the lad. He had no idea what he was about to experience in the next few months.

"Well Private Davis, while I _am_ impressed with your comprehension skills at noting that I am, in fact, a woman," she paused to allow a few of the sniggers at her statement to die down, "I would like to add that I have personally used the techniques I used last night in the line of duty to gain enemy information and report it to our intelligence team."

Her admission caused a few of the men to look at her with mixed expressions of awe and shock. Meg didn't know whether to feel proud of herself or ashamed at how little faith they seemed to have in her.

"But ma'am, we knew you weren't bad," the private next to Private Davis spoke up, causing Meg to turn and look at him with a confused frown, begging him to explain his statement. "You've got a British accent ma'am," he added weakly when he saw her facial expression.

"Do I really?" she asked and dozens of pairs of eyebrows rose to the ceiling at her voice.

She had spoken with a perfect German accent.

"Gentlemen," she continued in her German accent, "a voice means nothing, whether it be accent or language. Spies are chosen for their ability to fool the enemy. If the Germans aren't making their spies become fluent in English and French accents, I would be extremely shocked."

Seeing he needed to reel them in before they became overwhelmed with this information, Colonel Sink stepped forward again, drawing back his troops' attention.

"All we're trying to say men, is that you need to always be on your guard. You're just all lucky that Agent Myeroff is on our side. Now, if I'm correct in my thinking, it should be time for breakfast. Good day gentlemen."

The men all stood at attention as Colonel Sink left the building, followed closely behind by Agent Myeroff and the rest of the commanding officers.

"Never saw that one coming," Muck said under his breath as they watched the woman disappear outside.

Back at Battalion HQ, Meg found herself gazing out the main window as she watched a company of the men running drills. The Colonel was discussing something with one of his Captains and, even though she wanted desperately to know what they were saying, she chose to stay out of the way, over by the window. It was killing her instincts to not eavesdrop at all but she didn't want to start causing problems and mistrust on her first full day here.

The sound of boots coming down the hallway caused her to jump and move even farther away from the door, afraid someone would still have the nerve to accuse her of eavesdropping. It wouldn't have surprised her; it's not like she was high up on any of the men's trust lists at the moment.

The boot steps were followed by the entrance of two lieutenants. The taller one had auburn hair, brushed and parted neatly, covered perfectly by his cap. Matched with his cleaned up appearance, Meg knew she was facing a rules-following, no-nonsense, proper-to-a-fault leader.

The second man was shorter and stockier, with slight stubble along his jaw. Meg was quick to note the scuff on his right boot and the fact that his collar wasn't completely straight.

These two were quite a pair.

"Colonel," they both said, saluting Sink and drawing his focus from the Captain in front of him.

"I'll be with you boys in a minute," the Colonel said before returning his attention to the man.

Meg watched out of the corner of her eye as the two lieutenants turned to each other, crossing their arms casually as they waited.

She knew it was going to happen a split second before it did. The shorter of the two glanced over and caught sight of her standing in the corner, a wide smirk spreading across his face.

"Well if it isn't the Screaming Eagle's resident spook," he said, turning and walking toward her, the other lieutenant following quietly behind. Meg held back the urge to roll her eyes as the first man stuck out his hand. "Lieutenant Nixon, but you can call me Lew," he said in an attempt to be smooth. Meg hated to admit it but he may have succeeded. This one was going to be trouble.

"Lieutenant Nixon," She said formally as she shook his hand, specifically ignoring his request for using first names. Next to him, the red head smirked lightly, sticking out his own hand.

"Lieutenant Dick Winters," he said and she smiled.

"Dick," she said, ignoring the scoff Nixon gave.

"How come you call him by his first name?" he asked. "He didn't even ask that you call him by his first name."

"Is it alright if I call you by your first name?" she asked, otherwise ignoring Nixon's complaints. Dick nodded, still sporting a teasing smile.

"Of course," he said and Nixon rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. Deciding not to tease him anymore, Meg turned the conversation.

"Well gentlemen, my name is Megan Myeroff. It's a pleasure to meet both of you," she said as Colonel Sink walked over.

"Miss Myeroff," he said, interrupting the conversation as she turned to look at him. "Your quarters have been all set up and Private Luz will show you to them on his way back. Am I correct in saying you're expecting someone Monday?"

"Yes sir," she said, standing up straighter as the official conversation started. "My team should be arriving at 0900."

"Team?" Sink asked, frowning. "I was told we were only expecting one more."

The three officers were quick to notice the empty expression that passed Meg's face.

_Hold yourself together girl_, she said to herself, tightening her fists. _It's been a year. You know there are just two of you now._

"Of course sir," she said, shaking her head slightly. "My partner will be arriving at 0900."

"Excellent. Winters, Nixon, follow me please."

Knowing she had been dismissed, Meg stepped back to wait for the arrival of Private Luz.

"Nice to meet you," Lieutenant Nixon said, raising his hand up to tap his cap to her in a professional way, but Meg didn't miss the twinkle in his eye. Next to him, Lieutenant Winters did the same, but unlike his partner, his gesture was completely genuine.

"Ma'am," a voice said and she turned to see a shorter man standing there, dressed in a paratrooper uniform. His dark brown hair was almost black, spiking up in the front of his head in a peculiar way.

"Private Luz," she said and he nodded, sticking out his hand.

"I wasn't sure if you'd remember me from last night," he said with a grin. "George Luz, radioman for Easy Company, 2nd Battalion," he introduced himself and she shook his hand, smiling.

"Agent Meg Myeroff. It's a pleasure to meet you again Private Luz."

"Please," the private said with a scoff, "you ain't my superior or nothin'. Call me George."

"Alright George," Meg said as they turned and started walking.

As they walked, George filled Meg in on everything he felt was worthy to know about Aldbourne.

"Everything you didn't already learn last night," he added slyly, causing her to chuckle. Meg was quick to realize he was quite a jokester. She knew that if she needed more cheering up in the future, she could count on the private to help her out.

Just as he was giving her a spot on impersonation of Colonel Sink that had her in stitches, a group of four men walked over, stopping in front of them.

"Gonna introduce us to your friend, Luz?" one of them asked. George smirked at Meg before turning to the guys.

"Boys, this is Agent Meg Myeroff," he said dramatically, motioning for her to step forward. "Miss Myeroff, this is Guarnere, Toye, Liebgott and Malarkey.

"I've met a couple of you before," Meg said, smirking lightly at her joke about the night before.

"Speaking of which," Guarnere started, "did you report to the Colonel who told you what?"

"No I didn't," she said. "He wanted to know, but I told him I didn't keep track of names. He doesn't know you were the one who told me about his coffee," she finished and a few of the guys sniggered.

"Good, just checkin' ma'am," Guarnere said.

"You coming to the pub again tonight?" the soldier she thought was named Toye asked.

"You're all going to the pub again tonight?" she asked, eyebrows rising slightly. Did these boys have weekends off?

"Well yeah," Malarkey said, "it's Saturday. We get Sundays off, why wouldn't we go to the pub?"

Meg scoffed to herself as she shrugged in a nonchalant way. Americans _would_ only work six days a week. They were in the middle of a war for goodness sake.

"I may make an appearance," she told them and Toye pointed at her threateningly.

"You better not be workin' again," he warned and she smirked when she realized he was joking.

"I don't think any of you will trust me with any conversation ever again," Meg said with a laugh and a few of the guys shrugged. "I'm sorry about misleading you, but you know how it is when Colonel Sink gives you orders; you have to obey them."

The guys chuckled at her statement, the conversation slowly fizzling.

"Well come on, enough with the chit chat," George said suddenly, shoving the guys away. "Some of us have work to do, which can't be done until the lovely agent is safe in her quarters."

"It was nice meeting all of you for real," Meg said as they all started to walk away. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."

The boys waved before continuing on their way.

After George had dropped Meg off in her quarters, she got right into unpacking, making sure to put her things on only half of the room. The other half would be for Adam when he arrived. It had been so long since she'd seen him, it was almost weird to plan on him joining her. Multiple times she caught herself spreading her things out too much, reeling it back to just her side of the room.

Because of her line of work, Meg's entire life was mobile. Everywhere she went, she took all her things with her. Because of this, it took most of the day to get everything unpacked and put in its rightful place. She was hanging her dresses in the small closet when she heard a trumpet sound. Looking at the clock, she realized it must be suppertime. All the men would now be heading back to the mess hall, hungry from a long day of training.

An idea suddenly struck her and Meg quickly checked herself in the mirror before walking out the front door. If she was going to risk herself like this, she at least wanted to look good while she did it.

Since it was just after 1800, the sun was already beginning to set, casting shadows along the buildings. It was those shadows that became Meg's friends, letting her pass through them unnoticed. She became one of them, blending in as she made her way across the military base.

It didn't take her long to arrive at Battalion HQ. She was glad she had studied her way around when she arrived, otherwise it probably would have taken longer and this personal mission needed to be done while everyone was still at supper.

Stepping inside, she was pleased to see the office was empty, just as she suspected it would be. Despite her presentation that morning, the Americans didn't seem too worried about base security. She figured they wouldn't have anyone on duty to guard the office but it still disappointed her to find she was right. Glancing around one last time to be sure no one was coming, she scurried into Colonel Sink's office, shutting the door quietly behind her with a click.

The first thing she did was make sure the window was open for an emergency exit if need be. As she eyed the two story drop, she silently hoped it wouldn't be needed. Deciding she was set, she settled herself in front of the large filing cabinet. When she had been in here the day before, she had noticed the cabinet's drawers marked with each company's name. Her curiosity had been peaked and now that she knew everyone would be at dinner, she was going to give into her wonderings and have a look inside.

Despite the fact that her snooping was purely for innocent reasons, she knew getting caught would mean big trouble. In an age when suspicion was at an all-time high, breaking into private records, even if they were records of your own people, could be considered a very serious action.

Knowing this was most likely not worth the trouble she would get in if she were caught, Meg took a deep breath. Glancing around one last time to make sure that nothing would disturb her, she reached out, pulling the fifth drawer open.

"Alright Easy Company, let's see what you've got for me," she said as she pulled out the first file labeled Blithe, Albert.

She had plenty of time.

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_So there's Chapter One! I absolutely **LOVE** reviews, so feel free to tell me what you think of this story. _

___Also, thanks to LovingBOBThePacific, SeusserKaefer234, and battyderp for their reviews on the prologue. They made my day!_


	3. Sixteen Seconds

_Here it is! Chapter 2! I'm glad people are liking this story so far! Woot woot! I was worried for a second I wouldn't get this update out in time... all of my spare minutes have been spent glued to the TV screen to watch every second of the Olympics coverage. I'm nervous my boss is going to catch me streaming the live feed on my work comp and yell at me..._

_Anyway, here's chapter 2!_

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**Chapter 2**

Meg patted the bottom of her hair, wishing the curl would stay in it better. She had spent the last half hour or so curling each bit in an attempt to make it more uniform. It was her first night out with these men since they had found out who she was. She wanted to impress them. With a sigh, she set her curling tong down and ran a brush through her hair, fixing some of the worst parts.

Satisfied with how she looked, she leaned forward and applied her dark cherry lipstick, smacking her lips together as she stood up to grab her dress from its hanger.

It was a simple navy blue dress. The hem fell to just above her knees and after tying the large bow on the side, she adjusted the deep V-neck and smoothed out any wrinkles.

That was the one plus of not being an official member of the American military: she could wear whatever she wanted. She didn't have to stick to Class As and make sure everything was Army regulation. If she wanted to wear a red dress, she could wear a red dress. If she wanted to wear a navy dress, she could wear a navy dress. Hell, if she wanted to run around nude, she could run around nude. Not that she would.

Doing a full turn so she could see herself from every angle, Meg decided she was set. Since it was October, there was a slight crisp feel to the air. Pausing in debate, she finally settled on a lighter jacket, knowing she would set it aside as soon as she got in the pub. Still, the walks would be brisk and she didn't particularly care to freeze.

"There she is!" a loud voice shouted almost as soon as she walked into the pub. Looking toward the source of the noise, she smirked when she spotted George and a couple men standing over by the dartboards. Weaving through the crowd, she was soon joining them, setting her coat on a nearby chair and hoping she remembered it later.

"Don't you boys clean up nicely," she said with a wide smile. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the one younger man blush.

"Oh come now, don't be so modest," George protested with a smirk, "you clean up way better than all of us."

"I never denied that," she said with a wink before glancing at the bar. "I suppose I should go get myself a drink." Immediately five hands reached into pockets but she brushed them off as she left. "Nonsense, I can get my own drink," she said before leaving the group and finding an open spot at the bar. Quickly getting the bartender's attention, she ordered a gin on the rocks.

"Interesting drink choice," a deep voice said and Meg turned to find Lieutenant Nixon sliding in beside her. Despite detesting the man, she couldn't deny that he was quite easy on the eyes.

"You mean for a woman?" she prompted and he shook his head.

"I never said that," he replied, but his smirk told her he was messing with her. "So, enjoy your first day in Aldbourne?" he asked, turning to lean his back against the bar. He wasn't looking at her, and Meg didn't know whether to be pleased or annoyed with this.

"It was alright. I met a few more of the men, got my things settled in, was able to avoid an annoying lieutenant or two."

At her statement he did turn to look in her direction, locking eyes with her.

"Anyone I know?" he asked but she could tell he knew exactly who she was talking about. "Listen, I think we got off on the wrong foot," he said, turning serious as he shifted his whole body to face her.

"You do," she said, more of a statement than a question. What was he playing at?

"Yeah, so let's start over?" He stuck his hand out. "Lieutenant Lewis Nixon, 101st Airborne."

Meg hesitated a moment. Deciding there was no harm in it, she stuck her hand out in response.

"Megan Myeroff."

As soon as their hands touched, Meg noticed two things.

One, Lewis Nixon's hand was large, much larger than hers. It was also very warm, engulfing her hand like an oven.

Two, it felt obnoxiously nice.

"Ma'am," the bartender said, returning and setting her drink in front of her.

"Put it on my tab Johnny," Lewis said as Meg was reaching for her purse.

"Excuse me," she said with a frown, more than a little annoyed, "I can pay for my own drink."

"You know usually women just say 'thank you,'" Lewis informed her before turning and walking away, leaving her dumbfounded. She had never met such an infuriating, confusing person in her life. As she walked back to the group she had left, she pondered this, feeling her face scrunch up in dazed confusion.

"Wanna play a game of darts?" George asked as she approached him, shaking her from her thoughts.

"I dunno," she told them as she took a large gulp of her drink, practically sighing as the hard liquor poured down her throat. "I don't know if you lot can handle my dart skills."

Her bragging caused a few of the guys to chuckle, looking at each other. Obviously they didn't believe her, and that changed her tune quickly.

"Alright gentlemen," she said, trying to keep her annoyance at bay, "Let's do this."

"You can be on my team," George said and Meg locked eyes with him, a moment of understanding passing between them.

George knew she wasn't joking and he knew it would be better to have her with him than against him. Feeling a sense of happiness that at least one person here had faith in her, Meg set her drink down and turned to the three men with her hands on her hips.

"Two versus two?" she asked and they nodded. "Excellent, you can go first."

"Oh no, ladies first," the one man said and Meg smirked.

"Exactly," she replied. It took a second for the three men to realize what she meant, and when they did she was glad to see everyone was good sports about it.

"I like this dame!" George announced so practically the whole pub could hear. As he threw his arm around Meg's shoulders somewhat roughly, she blushed, feeling put on the spot.

"Let's just start the game shall we?" she asked, turning everyone's attention back to the dartboard.

The boys quickly learned that Meg was not joking about her darts skills. In fact, she was a little disappointed at the lack of faith they seemed to have at her aiming ability. What kind of agent did they think she was?

She and George quickly won, earning a round of drinks from the losers. As Meg laughed at something George said, she looked over and caught eyes with Lewis Nixon.

He was watching her from over the top of his whiskey glass. As he and Meg stared at each other, a man next to him suddenly leaned forward, saying something that drew his attention from her.

Feeling a shiver go down her back, she turned back to the boys, accepting a beer from one of the men on the losing team. Meg had quickly remembered his name was Muck. She was continually impressed that for the most part she had remembered all their names. Between all the men she had met the night before and all the men she had read up on in the Colonel's office, she didn't think she'd ever be able to spot who was who.

"I don't know many ladies who drink gin," Muck said.

"I have a feeling you don't know many ladies who are like me," she replied and he shrugged, admitting this was probably true.

"You got that right," George said before downing his drink in one long chug, causing Meg to roll her eyes. These Americans and their drinking! "Say, have any cool stories?" George suddenly asked, setting his empty glass down. "None of us have seen action yet so I'm sure anything you've got would be twice as exciting."

"Oh I don't know..." Meg trailed out slowly, her mind flying to images these boys had never experienced. Part of her didn't want to tell them any stories; she didn't want to be the one to take away what little innocence they had left.

"Just one?"Liebgott asked and she sighed, sitting down. What story could she possibly tell them?

"Alright, I have one," she said finally and the three men were quick to join her.

"Hey fellas, Miss Myeroff's gonna tell a story," George quickly informed a group of men at the table next to them and soon a crowd of about ten men were around her, listening in. Normally Meg would never agree to anything like this. Bragging about her exploits was not a habit of hers. However at this point she decided to give in and let the alcohol in her system do the talking. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have the men around her respect her a little more.

"Alright, this was a few years ago, when my team was in South Africa," she started, feeling somewhat like a mother telling a bedtime story.

Murmurs of "South Africa!" went around but Meg ignored them.

"It was the first time I had been in charge of my own team. The IIA had evaluated me at leader status but I had only just passed so I was a little nervous. Anyway, our orders were to bring this African drug lord in, unharmed, for questioning in regards to a string of murders that had been occurring in the area."

"Shit," someone said softly and Meg tried not to smirk. These lads had no idea what kinds of shenanigans she had been involved in over the years.

"Well we were stationed there for over a month with no success in finding the man when one of my team members and I got into this huge argument. He usually would lead our team so he was used to being in charge. We fought so much that I stormed out of the hotel. Well here I am, an 18-year-old girl wandering the streets of South Africa and next thing I know a car pulls up, someone reaches out, and I'm being pulled in."

Eyebrows rose and Meg smiled, knowing she had the men entrapped.

"What happened?" a voice asked and she recognized the owner as Guarnere.

"Well I'm blindfolded and driven about 10 miles to this run down shack. After tying me to a chair, I was left alone for an hour before the door opens and in walks the drug lord."

"Shit, what did you do?" George asked and Meg rolled her eyes at their continued interruptions. Couldn't they just let her tell the story? However she'd be lying if she said it really annoyed her; she found it adorable.

"Well he starts talking in Swahili and I only know a few words so I have no idea what he's saying. All I knew was that it was just him and I in this room and this would probably be our only chance to get him."

She paused, taking a sip of another gin that had appeared in front of her. At least this time someone had figured out her preferred drink.

"So what happened?" a voice finally asked.

"So I used the chair I was tied to to knock him out cold. I broke the chair and undid the bindings and used them to tie him up. Then I knocked out the guard outside the door, found an empty radio room and was able to phone my team."

There was a beat of silence as the men all stared at her, dumbfounded. She almost laughed at the hilarity of it. She knew they were wondering how she had done all that, but after a few weeks of seeing her in action themselves, there would be no question as to what she was capable of. For now though...

"You did not fucking knock those two men out," a voice shouted. A few hushed whispers followed and then the same man added, "Sorry ma'am, I mean you did not knock those two men out."

"You don't believe me?" she asked and a few men shook their heads, agreeing with him. "I'm more than willing to give a demonstration."

This was a side of Meg most people didn't see. The usual Meg would never brag about her skills by giving a demonstration. This was the Meg hyped up with compliments, awe, and a few drinks of alcohol.

George smirked, laughing at her offer, but the same man from before stepped forward.

"Sure give a demonstration," he said. From the expressions of some of the other men, Meg assumed this man acted like this even when he wasn't drunk.

"What's your name soldier?" she asked, leaning back in her chair to get a better look at him. He was of average height, with dusty blonde hair and a somewhat annoying face. Or maybe that was just Meg's personal opinion.

"Cobb ma'am," he said, "Private Roy Cobb."

Well at least he had the dignity to be polite about it all.

"Well Private Cobb, if you want to step outside, I'd be more than willing to show you how I took out a grown man."

The rest of the men chuckled and laughed but Cobb wasn't going to stand for being made fun of by a woman.

"Alright," he said firmly as he started for the door. Meg was momentarily stunned, eyes wide.

"Damn," she said under her breath as she stood up to follow him.

She hoped she didn't hurt him too much.

Once outside, the men formed a circle, leaving room for Meg and Cobb in the middle. Word must have quickly traveled around because there were almost four times as many men with them now.

"Are you sure you want to embarrass yourself in front of all your friends?" Meg asked so only Cobb could hear. She knew it sounded like she was taunting him but she was asking him a serious question. To get beat was embarrassing in itself; to get beat by a girl would be worse.

"Are you sure you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of all these potential husbands?" he shot back and she rolled her eyes, noticing some of the men closest to them had heard his comment.

"On the count of three then?" Meg asked before turning to her new friend. "Count George," she ordered, hoping he didn't take her animosity personally. Looking over, she saw him grin at her and knew he completely understood.

"One, two, three," the shorter paratrooper said. Meg internally smirked as she saw Cobb stand still. He wasn't about to attack a girl. This was going to be easier than she thought.

Stepping up to him, she acted as if she was going to reach for him. As he reached forward out of reflex, she spun around and grabbed his arm from behind, pulling it over her shoulder. The force she put on his arm sent the rest of him flying over her shoulder as well. He landed on his back with a loud "oof!" as the wind was knocked out of him.

Rushing quickly, she dropped to her knees, ignoring the tears to her nylons as she shoved him over onto his stomach, pulling first his right, then his left arms up behind him, holding them with both of her hands tightly against his back as she straddled him.

"What was my time?" she asked, breathing slightly heavy. She felt Cobb struggle beneath her, his cheek digging into the dirty gravel. She knew her nylons were destroyed and she did not want to see what her dress looked like.

"Sixteen seconds," George said, looking down at her with a wide, proud grin.

"Get off me goddamnit!" Cobb shouted, finally having enough humiliation. Meg quickly stood up, brushing off her skirt in a failed attempt to fix some of the damage.

Suddenly realizing exactly what had just happened, she sighed, lifting her hands up to fix her hair as embarrassment swept over her. Despite the fact that this had all come about because of alcohol in her system, that was all she could think of to make her feel better about this situation.

"Who wants to buy me a drink?" she asked, suddenly sounding exhausted, and it wasn't from the fight. She hadn't even broken a sweat.

"I want a rematch. I wasn't ready," Cobb's voice said from behind her. Meg turned to him, a frown appearing on her face.

"I'm sorry, a rematch?" she asked, making sure she had heard him correctly.

"Come on Cobb, you lost fair and square. Are you going to buy the lady a drink or what?" a man asked, his words muffled slightly by the large cigar hanging out of his mouth. In response Cobb turned and stormed off, heading back to base.

"Don't mind him," George whispered in Meg's ear, putting an arm around her waist to lead her back into the bar. "I'll buy you that drink."

While most of the men had seemed hesitant about Meg before, her popularity skyrocketed after her incident with Cobb. The longer she sat with them, the more she realized that the incident was, in fact, something that could be used to her advantage. By the time she chose to call it a night, she had met more of them than she could remember, and had been offered more drinks than she could stand in one night.

She left with promises of joining them next weekend, brushing off George's offer to escort her back and slipping into the shadows.

She preferred being alone.

* * *

_Well? What did you all think? Please review! I would appreciate it sooo much! I'm going on vacation this coming week but I still plan on having my chapter out next Thursday! However, if it happens to be a little late, you all will know why haha._

_Also, I'm curious to see who all you guys think is going to be her romantic interest. Who do you think? Review and tell me!_


	4. Mood Swings

_Well check this out! I'm still on vacation but was able to actually get this chapter out. AND in my goal of before 11 pm on Thursday. Yay me!_

_Side note: I was going to write review responses for this chapter but it's 10 pm and I haven't unpacked from trip 1 and thus haven't repacked for trip 2. Sooooo...review responses will have to wait until next week's chapter. (Hint, if you want a response, now's your chance to review! hahaha jk jk)_

* * *

Chapter 3

The next morning Meg was roughly awoken by a loud knocking on her door.

"Miss Myeroff, the Colonel wants to see you in his office in fifteen."

Meg sighed, stumbling out of bed and quickly washing up, proud of her decision to end last night early. She did not want to have a morning meeting with the Colonel while hung over.

"Yes sir?" she was saying roughly fifteen minutes later as she walked into the Colonel's office. She was quick to notice that, to her annoyance, Lewis Nixon and Dick Winters were also there, along with two other men she didn't recognize. A quick glance told her they were both lieutenants too.

"Miss Myeroff," the Colonel started. From his tone, Meg could tell he was not pleased. "I want to know who told you it was alright to beat the shit out of my soldiers."

Meg paused for a moment, trying to think of a good way out of this. Maybe it hadn't been as good an idea as she originally thought. She tried to ignore Nixon, who was sporting a very obvious grin, as she finally decided what to say.

"Well sir, I don't appreciate the men doubting my abilities. Private Cobb insisted on seeing me demonstrate my skills and wouldn't listen when I told him no."

"And you couldn't just walk away?"

"Sir walking away is not in Meg's vocabulary," a voice said and Meg spun around, smirking.

A tall man was leaning against the doorframe, his auburn hair cropped short. There was a bag at his feet and another slung over his shoulder.

"And you are?" Colonel Sink asked, frowning. Meg turned back around to look at the Colonel, a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

"This is my partner sir," she said as the man strode forward, hand extended.

"Adam Myeroff," he said and the Colonel shook his hand, eyebrows raised.

"Two of you huh?" he asked and Meg nodded.

"My older brother sir," she said. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned slightly to get a better look. Her eyes locked with Lewis Nixon's and he winked at her, causing her to huff in annoyance.

"I thought you weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow," the Colonel accused, eyeing Adam in an attempt to get a read on him. Unfortunately for him, Adam could be a hard read when he wanted to be.

"My previous appointments finished early sir," he said, and Meg frowned lightly. What did that mean?

"Well then, I guess I'll let you two get settled," the Colonel said and they both nodded, turning to head toward the door. "And Miss Myeroff," Colonel Sink called just when she was about to walk out. "No more roughing up my men. I need them fit to fight the real enemy."

Meg was annoyed at his statement, until she saw the slight twitch of his lips. He found it slightly humorous too.

"So, only on the playground two days and you're already beating up the boys?" Adam asked as the two walked to their quarters.

"It was just a friendly tussle. I had him pinned in under 20 seconds and I'm positive the only thing hurt was his pride," Meg explained, her eyes trained on the soldiers going through calisthenics as they passed by.

"Still Meg, you know better than to ruffle feathers. We're stationed here indefinitely so it would be nice to not keep making enemies," Adam said, pulling her attention back to him. Meg had to resist the temptation to roll her eyes.

"It was one man Adam, and if the mood of the rest of the night was any indication, I think the other men were rather impressed with me."

"Show off," Adam said as he walked into their quarters, not holding the door for her. It caught her off guard as it slammed into her side lightly, causing her to stumble slightly.

"I may have been the show off but at least I have manners," she shot back before they both stopped and turned to look at each other. "I missed you," she said softly, her tone changing.

"C'mere," he said and she rushed over, feeling peace as she was enveloped in a brotherly hug. "I miss you too. How have you been?" He asked, pulling her away so he could look at her. "You know, with everything?"

"I've been fine," she replied a little too quickly, her eyes not quite meeting his. "How was the trip?"

Adam's eyes narrowed, showing that he knew she had changed the subject. Nevertheless, he kept her happy.

"Fine; a little boring. I flew into Southampton, and then had to take a taxi here. Pain in the ass."

"Where were you?" Meg asked as she plopped herself down on her bed. Adam began unpacking, pausing to wag a finger at her.

"Come now Megan, you know I can't reveal that."

"Stop it," Meg replied, angered by his patronizing tone, "I'm your team remember? You know about all of my solo missions."

"Germany," Adam said suddenly and Meg's eyes widened.

"Honestly?" she asked and he nodded. "What's it like?"

"Awful. Nowhere near as nice as it was when we were there last."

"I don't know if I would have described it as nice," Meg said with a snort of distaste.

"You know what I meant," Adam shot back.

"I wish I could have gone with you," Meg said, lying back on her bed.

"I do too. My only contact was a Sergeant Thomas Wellington out of London. You and I work so much better together. But you couldn't and you know that."

"I'm still mad at Marco," she said suddenly and Adam rolled his eyes.

"You know he was just watching out for you right? Everyone at Base cares about you; you're the favorite. They're not about to compromise your safety."

"I was fine," Meg said harshly, "just drop it."

Adam shut his mouth at her strong tone, turning to put full attention to his unpacking.

After a moment of silence, Meg began to feel bad about yelling at him. Sighing, she decided to play nice.

"So why exactly are you early?" she asked, hoping he'd realize this was as close to an apology as he was going to get.

"The mission finished a few days earlier than expected so Marco had me talk to a few classes at the Academy. I decided I'd rather see you so I cut them short."

"I guess you missed me too then?" Meg asked, feeling a wide smile spread across her face.

It had been a whole year since they had seen each other. In fact, she hadn't seen him since a few weeks after the Germany incident.

Trying not to let her thoughts drift to that, she rolled over onto her side to see him better.

"Well of course I missed you! The last I saw you, you were curled up in a bed in Level Three crying your eyes out and-"

"I said drop it!" Meg shouted suddenly, sitting straight up.

And before Adam could respond, she was up and out the door, leaving him alone, mouth agape.

Meg knew she was being childish. She knew she was stomping, but her brother had been pushing the wrong buttons.

"He knows!" she said under her breath as she walked. "He knows how I feel about all that. He knows what I went through. Why does he have to keep bringing it up?"

She was so engrossed in her rant that she didn't notice someone coming around the corner toward her. Two strong hands came out to grab her arms at the last second, preventing her from falling backwards at the impact.

"Careful," a familiar voice said and she looked up into the eyes of Lewis Nixon.

"Of course," Meg grumbled, pulling herself away from him. Balling up her fists, she looked straight up at the sky. "Haven't I gotten enough today?" she shouted at the heavens, frowning when she heard Lewis chuckling at her.

"I'm not that bad am I?" he asked and she looked at him, shrugging. "C'mon, I think I deserve more than that."

"Alright maybe you do," she said with a grumble before remembering where she was and who she was talking to. This wasn't Adam, that she could complain about and insult to his face, this was a lieutenant with the United States of America. "I'm sorry; I'm just having a bad day."

"Mood swings?" he asked and she frowned at him. He quickly backtracked. "Hey now, I just meant…well, you seemed so happy when you saw your brother earlier."

"Well he's the problem. Just some sibling argument," she explained and Lewis nodded.

"I know those, believe me. I have a sister five years younger and we used to get in arguments all the time."

"That's not hard to believe," Meg said dryly. "You seem like someone who would pick on their little sister."

Lewis looked at her with wide eyes.

"She used to pick on _me_!" he said innocently and she couldn't help but laugh. "Where were you headed?" he asked, his joking tone dying down.

"I'm not sure really," she said as she looked around. "I just stormed out of our quarters; I didn't really have a plan."

"Well I was just walking over to check the mail. I'm expecting a package. Care to join?"

Meg was about to say no. This was the infuriating Lewis Nixon after all. However, a large part of her wanted to be around him, to admire his witty humor and charismatic character a little more.

"Alright," she said with a shrug as he offered her his arm. The two turned and continued on the path he had been walking.

"So how much older is your brother?" Lewis asked as they walked.

"Two years; he's almost 25."

"So then you're 23?" Lewis asked and Meg smirked and looked down. So that's what he really wanted to know.

"I don't think it's proper to ask a woman her age," Meg finally answered and Lewis laughed.

"Of course not, my mistake."

"I'd think a Yale man would know proper etiquette," Meg added and Lewis looked at her with a raised eyebrow. In response she just shrugged.

"So which Easy man were you talking about me with the night you did your little espionage experiment?" he asked with a sly grin. She shook her head at his question.

"None of them," she answered seriously. "I read your file."

"My file?" he asked, confusion evident across his face.

"Your file in the Colonel's office."

Lewis stopped walking, pulling Meg to a stop by their connected arms.

"You went through my file in the Colonel's office?" he asked and she nodded.

"Don't feel so special, I went through everybody's file."

She couldn't tell from his facial expression if he was angry or impressed.

"When did you accomplish that?"

"I spotted the filing cabinets when I was in the Colonel's office Friday afternoon. Yesterday evening I slipped back in when everyone was at dinner. "

Lewis started walking again, the two of them falling silent.

"So you know everything then?" he asked and she nodded. "Even about-"

"Your wife Katharine?" she asked, realizing she hit the nail on the head. "Yep, anything that was in that file, I know. That's my job."

"I thought your job was to spy on the enemy," he said, looking at her with his signature smirk. In that moment she realized any anger he may have had about the incident was gone.

"Well yes, but I need to stay informed about our lads too. Just so I know who I'm working with."

Arriving at the mailroom, Lewis held the door open before following Meg inside. While she stood back, he walked up to the counter and was quickly handed a nice-sized box from the clerk.

"Is that what you were expecting?" she asked as he approached her. He tested the weight of the box in his hand before nodding.

"It should be," he replied before tucking it under his arm. Offering her his other arm, they turned and headed back outside.

"Do I get to know what it is?" she asked and he laughed, tossing his head back slightly. She liked the sound of his laugh. It was rich and honest.

"Boy you really do take this nosy spy business seriously," he said, winking at her again. "It's a bottle of Vat 69."

"The whiskey?" she asked and he nodded. "You're allowed to have that here?"

"Well," he began with a shrug, "everyone kinda looks the other way. Besides," he added, leaning in like he had a big secret, "I store it in Dick's foot locker so if anyone were to get in trouble, it would be him."

"That's awful!" Meg said when she saw his smile. "Does he at least know he'll be taking the blame for your infraction?"

Lewis' silence was her answer. Just as Meg was about to scold him, running footsteps caused them both to look up.

Adam was jogging toward them, a look of distress on his face. When he spotted Meg, he came to a skidding halt in front of her. Meg pulled herself loose from Lewis' arm, folding her arms in anticipation of what he was going to say.

"I'm sorry," he said, not looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry about what I said back there, it wasn't my place. I was just worried about you. When I was at Base last, Bridget was mentioning that you were having nightmares again and..." Meg cleared her throat and shot a warning look in Lewis' direction. Adam got the hint. "Sorry, I just... well I have to play the big brother, it's what I am. And...well damnit I haven't seen you in almost a year and I keep hearing things over at Base but no one would just tell me flat out so I was worried and-"

Meg cut him off, stepping forward to pull him into a tight hug.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear before pulling back. "And I thank you for caring, but I'm fine. Really, I am."

The two smiled at each other for a moment before the sound of Lewis clearing his throat brought them back to reality.

"Oh!" Meg said, stepping back from her brother and pulling Lewis forward. "Adam this is Lieutenant Lewis Nixon. He's an intelligence officer with the 101st Airborne. Lewis, this is my older brother Adam."

The two men shook hands, very obviously sizing each other up. Meg knew Lewis was older, but her brother was almost half a head taller.

"Boys," she said under her breath, hoping she wouldn't have to step between the two, "play nice."

The two of them stared at each other for a second longer before they both turned to Meg, neither seeming embarrassed at being caught in their peacock display.

"I should probably go check in with my battalion," Lewis said, nodding to Adam before tossing Meg a wink. She felt her cheeks redden as he turned and walked off. As she watched him walk away, she could feel her brother's eyes on her.

"What?" she finally asked, turning to look at him. He held up his hands in surrender.

"Nothing," he said as they turned and began to head back to their quarters. "I see you're making friends already."

His statement seemed to get the opposite effect of what he wanted.

"I'm not making friends," she said, walking a little ahead of him. "I can't afford to make friends. Everyone close to me gets hurt."

"Meg..." Adam started, but she ignored him, increasing the space between them.

* * *

That night, she had another nightmare.

It was the same as all the others in every way: location, lighting, feeling... As she stood in the dark empty hall, she could hear the commotion all around her.

"Meg!" a voice called frantically into the radio piece in her ear. "Meg you have to get out of here!"

Before she had time to respond, shots sounded through the ear piece as well, followed by groans of pain.

"They took out Carter!"

Meg stood there, mute, as the whole scene played before her eyes.

Carter, Maxwell, Sarah, Yvonne... one by one their voices on the radio were silenced and she stood there, frozen and unable to do anything. She stayed melded to the spot as every member of her team was killed until only one remained.

"Meg, listen to me, you have to get out. It's too late for me; it's too late for all of us, but you can get out. If you run you can make it. Go!"

With a gasp she sat up in her bed, sweat dripping down her body.

That voice. It had seemed so real, it always did. It was almost as if Christian were right beside her, shouting those things in her ear as she slept. Panting to catch her breath, she turned to see Adam was still sound asleep on his bed. Not wanting to disturb him, she stood up and slowly tiptoed out of the building, grabbing her bathrobe as she went.

From the light outside, she could tell it was about two a.m. Feeling a chill, she pulled her bathrobe a little more tightly around herself, wishing she had grabbed her thicker bathrobe instead.

"Miss Myeroff," a voice said and she jumped, shrieking quietly as she spun around.

Dick Winters was walking toward her, looking fresh in his uniform. Despite the dark, she could just make out the concerned look on his face.

"Lieutenant," she said with a nod, suddenly feeling self conscious when she remembered what she was wearing.

"I'm sorry I frightened you," he said, coming to a stop beside her. "I figured you would hear me coming. Don't they train you for stuff like that?"

Meg frowned at him, mostly annoyed at herself. Of course they did, but in her weak state of mind she had tuned everything out. Stupid girl.

"What are you doing up so late?" she asked, turning the conversation back to him.

"Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd take a late night stroll to clear my head," he told her, both of them standing there awkwardly. "You?" he asked.

"The same," she answered rather quickly. Dick raised an eyebrow but didn't question her further on the subject. In fact, he changed the topic completely.

"I have to say I hope Nix isn't annoying you too much," he said and now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Nix?" she asked, her nose wrinkling in confusion. "Oh! Lieutenant Nixon," she said, realizing who he meant. "No he's not being_ too_ annoying," she told him and Dick laughed.

"But he can be annoying. Don't take it personally; he takes pleasure in driving other people insane. I have to put up with it daily."

"You know he keeps a stash of whiskey in your foot locker?" she asked suddenly and he looked at her with a frown.

"Really? Did he tell you that?"

She nodded, a smirk highlighting her face when she realized Dick really had no clue.

"Well damn," Dick said, running a hand through his hair. "I guess I better go look into that..." he trailed off as he turned to glance back the way he had come. "But let me walk you back to your quarters first."

"No I'm fine, I'm going to walk around a little more," she said before grinning. "And don't you think you should at least wait until morning before you confront Lewis about his alcohol stash? It probably won't be as enjoyable to yell at him if he's half asleep."

"True," Dick said, smirking at her. "Well, goodnight Miss Myeroff."

"Goodnight Lieutenant," Meg said, watching him turn and head back in the direction he came.

Alone again, she walked to the edge of the base, strolling at a leisurely pace. If she were to admit it, she was awfully tired, but the thought of her nightmare coming back had her too terrified to go back to bed. She knew her mind was weak; the dream would come right back as soon as she drifted off. She couldn't bear to hear Christian's voice telling her to save herself anymore. She had heard it enough in the past year to last a lifetime.

When she finally returned to their bunk, it was nearing four in the morning. Meg knew they had to be awake by six, but it made it easier for her to stumble into bed, knowing she wouldn't be at the mercy of her dreams for very long.

* * *

_TA DA! I hope you all liked this chapter. Did anyone think her partner was also going to be her brother? And what do you think exactly IS the Germany incident? Review and tell me what you think! Wouldn't it be awesome if I came back from this crappy family wedding I'm not looking forward to and I had a bunch of reviews to make me happy!?_


	5. 20 Questions

_I'm back! All my vacations and ridiculous amounts of traveling are over!_

_So I was kinda bummed, but last chapter was my least-viewed yet... maybe everyone else was just on vacay like me (I hope) haha._

_Anyway, here's the next chapter. And for the first time I'm actually doing review responses. YAY!_

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"How did you sleep last night? I heard you tossing and turning a lot," Adam said the next morning as he and Meg headed over to the mess hall.

"I slept fine; like a baby," Meg replied, realizing she'd have to be more careful about her nightmares with Adam around now. If that was even possible. "How about you?"

"I slept better than I have for the past month, that's for sure," he said as they walked through the doorway. "I have to say, being surrounded by all these military men is a little intimidating."

Meg snickered as she led him to a table in the middle.

"Hi boys," she said, acknowledging George, Muck, Frank, and Joe.

"Ey Meg!" a couple of them shouted as they looked up and saw her. George shoved Muck over, making more room for her to sit beside him.

"This is my brother Adam," Meg introduced as the siblings sat down. "Adam, these are some of the men I've gotten to know. George Luz, Warren Muck, Frank Perconte, and Joe Liebgott. Be nice to them," she finished and the boys all chuckled as Adam rolled his eyes.

"Adam was it?" George asked, leaning over Meg to offer his hand. "Nice to meet you. I hope, now that you're here, you plan on keeping an eye on this one?"

"Yeah, keep her on a tighter leash," Muck added. Meg stuck her tongue out at them and George laughed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were six," he shot back, causing her to blush.

"Well I'm sorry you lot have had to put up with her for two days," Adam said, joining in on the fun. "If I could have gotten here any sooner, I would have. I know how hard she is to handle."

"I'm hard to handle?" she asked in an appalled tone. "I'm sorry, when we were in France last, who was it who got rip roaring drunk and had to be dragged from the bar before he blew the mission to a handful of Germans?"

The Easy Company guys all raised their eyebrows, glancing over at Adam who blushed and chuckled embarrassedly.

"If we're being fair, the only reason that happened was because Chri-"

But Meg cut him off quickly, turning to the men.

"So are you boys ready to get back to a grueling week of training?" she asked, smirking at the looks on their faces.

"No," Frank said glumly, using his fork to dissect his breakfast, something that looked to Meg like it was supposed to be eggs.

"Will you be spying on us while we train?" George asked, his usual grin plastered across his face. "Because I'd like to know now if you are so I remember to look as impressive as possible."

"Show off," Meg said and the guys all laughed. She had obviously hit the nail on the head when it came to George Luz.

Smirking at how close all the guys were, she glanced up, her eyebrows rising when she spotted Lieutenants Nixon and Winters at the entrance to the mess hall. Lewis was staring at her again but this time she wasn't the only one who noticed.

"I don't care for him," Adam said under his breath and a couple of the guys turned to see who he was talking about.

"Nixon?" George asked, seeming surprised about the revelation. "He's alright. Good sense of humor, but we don't have a ton of interaction with him."

"Why don't you like him?" Meg asked, scowling at her brother. Very rarely did he come across someone he disliked, and even then he usually kept it to himself.

"Because you do," he said firmly, ending it with a little shrug. George, Muck, Frank and Joe all looked at Meg with sudden interest, causing her to blush and quickly shake her head.

"No I don't!" She stuttered back, appalled her brother had made that acquisition. "I'm hungry."

Leaving the table awkwardly, she weaved through the men to the front of the mess where the food was being served. As she stood in line, she felt a figure approach her on either side. Looking to her left, she smiled when she saw Dick standing there. Her smiled waned when she realized that if Dick was on her left, she knew who would be on her right. Forcing herself not to look at Lewis Nixon (mostly because she knew her brother and the lads were probably watching) she turned in the direction of Dick, hoping he would speak before Lewis did.

He didn't disappoint.

"So were you able to get back to sleep after your nighttime excursion?" Dick asked as he was served a spoonful of the suspicious-looking eggs.

"Nighttime excursion?" Lewis asked from her right, looking at both of them with a twinkle in his eyes. "I didn't expect the two of you to take part in a midnight rendezvous. Especially so soon after meeting."

The way he said it, as if it was a big-time scandal, caused Meg to frown, completely forgetting to tell the server that she'd pass on the eggs. Instead she turned and scowled at Lewis in an annoyed way before turning to glance at Dick. His cheeks were slightly pink as he threw her an apologetic look. At least she wasn't the only one who was embarrassed by what Lewis was insinuating, whether he was joking or not.

"Count on you to ruin my mood," Meg shot in Lewis' direction before turning and carrying her plate back to the table with the boys. She was almost there when she stopped; noticing Adam had left his seat.

"He got a message and left right after you did," Muck explained when he noticed her confused look.

"Do you know who it was from?" she asked as she sat down with them, suddenly realizing there were eggs on her plate. "Gross," she said under her breath before looking at George for an answer to her question.

"Nope. An orderly just delivered it and he left. I like him by the way," George said. "Your brother," he added with an eye roll when she didn't seem to understand what he meant. At his admission, she smiled, her grin lighting up her whole face.

"Oh! Yeah, he's a good big brother. He has the perfect mixture of protectiveness, fun, and annoying. I haven't seen him in almost a year so it's nice to be working with him again," she told them as she started eating the food on her plate.

She had been worried the boys wouldn't take as well to Adam as they had to her. In fact, she was still a little worried that once the honeymoon phase of her relationship with Easy was over, they'd get sick of her as well. Hearing that they approved of her brother, and approved of her enough to include her at their table made her relax. She had been worrying for nothing.

But when she thought about it, she realized her worries weren't really for that reason. Her worries were more about what would happen if they all did become close. Christian, Carter, Maxwell, Sarah, and Yvonne were proof that getting close to people was dangerous. Getting close to people meant they would get hurt and you would blame yourself. With war looming over them, was it a risk she was willing to take?

Shaking herself from her morbid thoughts, Meg turned her focus back to the table, realizing that the rest of the boys had drifted off, starting their own conversation about what they'd be running in drills today. Listening in lightly, she continued to eat, wondering how much she'd regret trying those eggs.

"So, Nixon huh?" George's voice whispered suddenly in her ear and she turned to find him smiling at her in an annoyingly knowing way.

"No, Adam's wrong," Meg said with a huff, turning back to her plate. "He just got the wrong idea because he caught us walking together yesterday. It was a rare moment when the Lieutenant was being cordial with me. Usually he seems to do everything he can to agitate me."

"So it's the pulling your pig tails kinda thing then?" George asked, his smile turning into more of a smirk. Meg tried to act annoyed, mostly to cover the embarrassment she was feeling at being caught in this situation.

"No it most certainly is not. You know between you and my brother, I think I might actually go insane here," she told him, her comment being drowned out by the sound of dozens of benches moving along the floor. All around them, every man had stood up and they were beginning to file out of the mess.

"You mean between me, your brother, and Lieutenant Nixon," George said with a wink before following Muck out the door.

After finishing her breakfast and making sure all of the men were properly with their groups for morning calisthenics, Meg made her way back to their quarters, hoping she would find her brother there. Sure enough, she came upon him stuffing shirts into a small duffle.

"What are you doing? Who was the message from?" Meg asked, walking over to sit on her own bed.

"Marco. They want me to report to London for a briefing on a possible one-man mission," he told her, not looking up as he reached for a few more things scattered on his bed. Everything was a jumbled mess but Meg was too shocked by his statement to bother fixing it all for him.

"But you literally just got here," Meg practically cried, getting up and dashing over to sit on his bed instead, swatting a few things aside in the process. "Surely Marco won't make you leave before we get settled in and know the place."

This time Adam did look up, grabbing her hands as he locked eyes with her.

"Meg, the whole point of us coming here was so we had a home base with the Yank soldiers while we went off on our own missions. I'm sure you'll be going on one soon too so don't get too comfortable."

"No I won't," Meg huffed childishly, crossing her arms in a pout. She didn't care if she was acting foolish; she was upset. "Marco won't ever send for me. He's going to keep me here with 2,000 men to keep me out of trouble."

"Meg," Adam said, looking at her with a grin, "If you really wanted to get into trouble, two _million_ men wouldn't be able to stop you."

At his statement, Meg couldn't help but smile and shrug, admitting there was truth in what he said.

Adam tied the strap on his bag before standing up and giving her hair a ruffle, much to her annoyance.

"Want to walk me over to the jeep?" he asked and she nodded, letting him pull her up from the bed. Together the two siblings headed out into the crisp October air, bundling up against the chill.

When they arrived at the waiting jeep, Meg wrinkled her nose at the sight of Captain Sobel approaching.

Although she hadn't yet met him personally, a majority of her notes from her Friday night experiment were about how much the men disliked the captain. In fact, it seemed to be everyone's favorite pub conversation. It was hard not to feel the same after hearing all the stories the men had told her. And if the other rumors were true, Sobel didn't care for her much either, especially after the statements she made about him the morning after said experiment.

"Captain," the jeep driver said, standing to attention and saluting Sobel as he approached. At that moment Meg was glad she didn't have to follow military protocol. She didn't know if she would be able to salute Sobel if she was required to.

"Who authorized this jeep?" Sobel asked, ignoring the siblings and staring at the driver, a private who suddenly looked extremely intimidated. Meg felt bad for him and was debating how best to draw the attention away from him when Adam spoke up.

"I did sir," Adam said, stepping forward and taking the attention off of the private. Sobel didn't seem to expect anyone to speak to him. His eyebrows rose and he turned to Adam with a look of disgust.

"You? And who _are_ you precisely?" Sobel asked, staring down at the agent over his nose.

"Agent Adam Myeroff sir," Adam replied and Meg held back a sigh. One of the first things she should have done when Adam got there was to warn him about Sobel and his apparent dislike for everyone who wasn't himself.

"I see, and who gave you permission to authorize jeeps whenever you felt like it?"

"Colonel Sink did sir," Adam said and Sobel only looked surprised for a moment before covering it up.

"Well we'll just have to see if that's true, won't we?" he asked and Adam shrugged, tossing his duffle into the back of the jeep and climbing into the passenger seat.

"I guess you will," Adam said as he sat down and turned to face the captain. "I, however, have to be going. Drive on."

The private only hesitated a moment before putting his foot on the pedal and steering the jeep down the dirt drive, leaving Meg with the infuriated captain.

Knowing this was the last place she wanted to be right now, Meg took a small step backwards, prepared to use an unfamiliar battle term called retreating.

"I'll just be..." she started but Sobel cut her off, turning on her.

"No, you're coming with me so we can sort this out," he said, grabbing her arm tightly as he led her in the direction of HQ. Meg had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

How annoying.

When they arrived at Colonel Sink's office, Meg's arm felt like it was about to fall off. It was so numb from being held so tightly, she doubted she'd get feeling back for at least an hour.

"I need to speak with the Colonel," Sobel announced loudly as they walked in the room. The orderly at the desk stood at attention, saluting Sobel before indicating that he could go in the office.

"Captain," Sink said as they walked in. "Miss Myeroff. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Sir," Sobel started, dropping his arm from his salute, "Miss Myeroff and her brother feel they are allowed to authorize jeeps whenever they feel like it. I felt the need to report this."

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone in the room looked at each other, eyes shifting about to take the others in. Finally the Colonel cleared his throat.

"Miss Myeroff, are you and your brother authorizing jeeps whenever you feel like it?" the Colonel asked, turning to her. Meg shook her head, holding in a smirk when she saw the look of amusement on his face.

"No sir. My brother got called back to IIA and authorized a jeep to take him to the train."

"So you're only using the jeeps for what you were authorized to use them for?" the Colonel asked and Meg nodded.

"Yes sir," she said, wishing she could turn and see the look on Sobel's face. She also found herself wishing the rest of Easy could be here to witness this as well. She knew they'd get a kick out of seeing their CO about to be reprimanded.

"I think that's all then Captain Sobel," the Colonel said, bringing Meg back to the current situation.

With a rushed salute, Sobel turned on his heel and stormed out of the office, not speaking another word.

"It would appear that you and your brother have made your first American enemy," the Colonel said as soon as Sobel was gone.

"It would appear so sir," Meg said, glad that at least she had Sink on her side.

That night found Meg wandering to the mess hall. One of the reasons was because she was hungry. Another reason was that she wanted to see the boys again. Although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she enjoyed their company. She enjoyed their characters, the way they made her laugh, the way the interacted with each other, and the loyalty they all seemed to have.

All in all, it was the type of relationship she had been sorely missing in the past year. She had spent months locked away, forbidding herself from having human interaction out of the fear that anyone she got close to she would also lose. Now though, however, her mentality was much more stable and she realized how foolish this idea was. Of course these men could get hurt, they were in a war for Christ's sake! But that didn't mean she was never allowed to have companionship anymore. Besides, she and Adam had been close since her birth and he hadn't been too hurt so far.

Walking in, she smiled when she spotted the boys of Easy Company sitting over at a table. She didn't know why it was them that she had grown so close to over the past few days; there were nine companies in the 101st. However, it had happened that way and when she saw all the boys throw their heads back at something George Luz said, she couldn't help but make her way over to them.

"Gentlemen," she said, a smile gracing her features. The boys all looked up at her, laughter still on their faces.

"Meg!" George cried, motioning for the paratrooper across from him to slide over. "Have you had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Floyd?"

Meg looked at the attractive young man next to her, shaking her head as she stuck her hand out.

"I don't believe I have. It's nice to meet you Floyd."

The young man shook her hand, smiling as a faint blush graced his cheeks.

"Thank you ma'am," he said, causing a couple of the guys to chuckle.

"So sweetheart, what have you been doing to keep yourself busy today?" Bill asked, and Meg turned all her attention to him.

"Well I had a lovely run in with Sobel this morning," she said and she smirked when all the guys at the table leaned in slightly, obviously eager to hear what she had to say. "He accused my brother and me of authorizing jeeps whenever we felt like it," she said with a shrug, indicating it was no big deal.

"What happened?" Muck asked and Meg smirked.

"Colonel Sink told him we weren't and that was that. I will agree with you lads though, I don't care for him at all."

The guys all seemed pleased with her statement and they all smiled smugly at each other.

Suddenly a loud masculine voice called for a ten-hut and every man in the room stood at attention, benches scraping across the ground. Meg froze, suddenly feeling awkward. She wasn't in the military so she didn't have to follow proper procedure, but should she sit there and look silly, or stand to blend in?

"Gentlemen I want you in full uniform, we're running a night exercise," a familiar, nasally voice said and Meg rolled her eyes.

Sobel.

As all the men in the mess hall slowly filed out, most muttering curses, Meg stood from her bench to watch them go. Suddenly feeling very awkward, she decided her best option would be to grab some food and take it back to her room. She wasn't going to sit in the mess by herself.

"Care if I join you?" a voice asked and she turned with raised eyebrows to see Lewis Nixon standing there. With a sigh, she motioned to the open bench across from her.

"Sure why not," she said in a tone that made it seem like this was the absolute last thing she wanted to do.

"Aw come on," Lewis said, leaning back on the bench and looking up at her. "I thought we'd gone through all of this yesterday. Do we really have to start back at square one every day?"

"I suppose I have been rather a pill towards you," she said with a sigh, admitting he was right.

"Yeah you've sure been a pill alright," he said before tossing her a smirk. "Did you already eat?" he changed the conversation and she blushed, jumping up.

"I'll be right back," she said before heading up and grabbing a plate of food.

Ten minutes later found her in stitches over stories Lewis was telling.

"So then, right after everyone gets their special meal of spaghetti and starts chowing down, Sobel storms in and announces that the plans had changed and we were running Curahee."

"Seriously?" Meg asked, her laughter stopping as she realized what would happen next. Mixing full stomachs of spaghetti with a six mile run would not have been a pretty sight.

"He's a hardass, but he's a genius," Lewis finished, setting down his fork after his last bite.

"Yeah, evil genius," Meg scoffed, earning a smirk from her comrade. "So, tell me all about Lewis Nixon," she said, taking the time to eat some more of her meal.

"I thought you already learned all about me from my file," Lewis accused and Meg blushed and shrugged.

"Just the information important enough to be in your file," she told him. "I want to hear about the Lewis Nixon that the American military isn't interested in." Hell, if she was going to stay on speaking terms with him, she should probably get to know him more personally.

"Well you already know I went to Yale," he started and she nodded. "Did my file say I grew up in both New York City and Montecito, California?"

"Nope," Meg said, excited she had learned something new. Learning things about people was always a favorite of hers. Maybe that's why she enjoyed undercover work so much, she got to know the people she was spying on.

"Yeah, grew up there. Traveled Europe for a bit,"

"Oh where?" she asked, cutting him off.

"Lots of places," he said casually. "But I bet you've been to more places than I have."

Instead of getting into that argument, she prodded him for more.

"What else is there?" he asked in a laughing voice.

"Well what about your family?" she asked, suddenly realizing she had hit a nerve. Lewis sobered up slightly, looking down at his plate.

"Not much to tell. We're the quintessential American family," he said with a false grin, his voice carrying a large level of sarcasm. When he saw Meg's look, he sighed and went on. "Dad owns Nixon Nitration Works in Nixon, New Jersey."

Meg chuckled into her hand, causing him to roll his eyes dramatically.

"Yeah, yeah whatever," he said before continuing. "Mom's active in civic activities out in California. They're still married," he added when he saw her questioning glance. "They just don't spend much time together. Let's see, I've got a sister-"

"You mentioned her before," Meg cut in and he nodded.

"She's a peach. Annoying as hell but you know, mom's got her doing that whole debutant thing so Blanche'll for sure be following in mommy dearest's footsteps."

Meg made note of the cynicism in his voice as he spoke of his family. While her family had been apart for long periods of time, they all loved each other and took advantage of their short times together. She couldn't imagine being so sour over the people you grew up with.

"Well what about your own family?" she asked, hoping to turn the conversation to a happier note. "What about Katharine and Charles?"

Lewis actually let out a loud, single laugh, shaking his head.

"You mean my lovely wife?" he asked and Meg realized that this was not how she wanted to change the conversation. "Katharine's everything my parents wanted me to find in a wife. She was from Arizona but our fathers were mutual friends and we were pushed at each other at lots of social gatherings."

"So it was chosen by your parents?" she asked, trying to understand why he would marry someone he seemed to dislike so much.

"What is this, 20 questions?" Lewis asked suddenly before rising from the bench and storming out the door, leaving Meg sitting there alone and utterly confused.

* * *

_Geez, Nix can be such a hot head sometimes! So, what did you all think? This is my longest chapter yet and so I'd be super bummed if I got even less reviews :( My little baby sister leaves for college this week and she's going to be almost 3 hours away! Since I'm going to be all depressed for the next few days, a whole **bunch** of reviews would make me feel a little better! Please? :)_

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_**LovingBOBThePacific** - Thanks so much for faithfully reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying my story so far! I hope it doesn't disappoint! And I'm sorry my updating probably isn't as quick as you'd hope. I just want to make sure I give myself a good amount of time to edit and proof each chapter before it goes up. My little sister's going away to college in 3 days (sniff sniff) so maybe with her hours away I'll be able to focus my time more on this story._

_**SuesserKaefer234** - I love your ideas/questions that you put in your reviews. I'm glad to see you're spending some time mulling over my plot lines haha. Hopefully it stays to what you expected. And yeah, Dick's a good guy...but just not the guy for Meg ;)_

_**battyderp** - Thanks for complimenting my writing style! I'm always nervous because I've always felt that it's less mature than I am (I would say immature, but then it sounds like I'm insulting it haha). Anyway, I'm glad you like my style and I'm glad you like this story. And I like your thought of Luz. He's probably my favorite paratrooper, but I've got someone else in mind... :D_

_**Tegan Ganmore** - Ahh thanks for liking Meg! I know what you mean, sometimes I find it hard to find a character and plot line to my liking, that's why I finally buckled down and wrote one exactly the way I wanted it haha. I'm glad I'm not the only one enjoying it! Also, I'd be SUPER interested to hear more about your headcanon. PM me!_

_**caught-offsides** - Yeah, I enjoy the Nixon-love-interests too. Idk if it's because I'm a good girl, so I'd never do anything with a married man, but those affair stories of Nixon's draw me in every time. When my editor (aka my best friend) read my story for the first time, she was like "WHAT!? HE'S MARRIED!" but for some reason I love it haha._

_**Amanda** - Thanks! I'm glad you're really enjoying it! I hope you like this chapter as well as the others!_


	6. Easy Peasy

_Well here it is! AND it's my longest chapter yet, by about 1,000 words!_

_I haven't posted this in a while, but I do not own Band of Brothers. Also, this story reflects my own interpretations of the characters of the tv show. It in no way reflects the real men, of whom I have the utmost respect._

_Also I've realized that for some reason I keep switching between numerals and spelling out the number of the chapter. From now on I'm just going to spell it out hahaha._

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**Chapter Five**

That night found her in bed, staring at her clock.

It wasn't so much that she had insomnia, it was more that she was forcing herself to stay awake. Despite the fact that she had hidden her recent nightmares from her brother, having Adam sleep across the room made her feel more at ease. Now, with him gone, she was afraid to fall asleep. If she did, the nightmares were sure to come back.

Finally deciding the fresh October night air might do her some good, she bundled up in a thick bathrobe, sliding on her shoes before heading out the door.

This time she heard him coming. She turned to face him, smiling as her eyes adjusted to his figure.

"Miss Myeroff," Dick said as he came to a stop beside her. In the darkness she could just barely make out the outline of his face and the glossiness of his eyes.

"You know you're allowed to call me Meg," she teased, forgoing a greeting.

"Alright then Meg," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "care to tell me why I've caught you out past your bedtime two nights in a row?"

The first response that came to mind was asking him how the hell he knew when her bedtime was. She decided to forgo that and instead chose to respond with her typical statement of not being able to sleep.

"What about you? Couldn't sleep either?" she asked him in return.

Dick shook his head, sighing.

"Nix is in a foul mood and his grumbling was keeping me up."

Meg instantly felt bad.

"I'm sorry," she said and he turned to her with a smile.

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault," he said but she shook her head, realizing he didn't understand.

"But it actually is," she said, earning a frown from him. "When you lot had to go on your afternoon run, Lewis and I ate our meals together and I began asking about him. Then I was foolish and brought up his family and..." she trailed off when she saw him nod in understanding. "If it's any consolation I felt horrible about it."

"He'll get over it," Dick said and Meg was slightly shocked at the harsh words coming from the kind lieutenant's mouth. "I just mean that by tomorrow he'll have forgotten and he'll be right back to bothering you," he clarified when he saw her shocked face. "Don't get too worked up about it. It's just how Nix is."

"Why did he marry her then, if he seems like he can't stand her?" Meg asked, turning to face the lieutenant. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why are you asking?" he responded and she was glad he couldn't see her blush in the dark.

That was a good question.

"Myeroff!" the orderly shouted the next morning as he handed out the mail. Meg grinned as she reached for the envelope, pulling it toward her.

"Oo who's that from?" Muck asked, leaning across the table and pretending to try and grab it from her.

"A boyfriend?" George chimed in, craning his neck over her shoulder to try and read the front. Meg pulled the envelope to her chest with a laugh.

"It's probably just from Adam," she said as she glanced down at it. "Yep, from Adam," she told them as she tore the envelope, pulling the thin sheet of paper out. The first thing she noticed was that it wasn't coded; obviously the contents weren't overly juicy on details.

"Boy, if my brother sent me that short of a letter, I'd refuse to reply," Bill told her, obviously seeing the two lines of writing through the thin paper.

"Well he was just here two days ago," Meg shot back before her eyes skimmed the page.

"What's it say? Or is it super top secret?" George asked and Meg rolled her eyes.

"He just says that he's coming back Sunday morning," she said, leaving out the part about him complaining that he hadn't qualified for the one man mission (or "job" as he had called it) and instead was stuck writing past reports he had neglected to turn in. Leave it to her brother to not do his duties completely.

No one at IIA particularly loved writing reports, but it was part of the job. You planned a mission, you wrote a report. You completed a mission, you wrote a report. You failed a mission, you wrote a report. Then when you returned to base, you wrote a report including all your other reports and then handed everything in. Marco was very meticulous when it came to keeping reports on all his agents. Personally, Meg thought it wouldn't hurt if she and Adam forgot to do a couple here or there; their files were already too thick for just one folder.

"A whole week to harass little Meg with no big brother to protect her," George teased. "What trick are we going to play on her first?"

"How about that trick where you lot behave like gentlemen?" Meg asked, causing all the guys to look at her. "Or haven't you learned that one yet?" she finished and the boys laughed when they realized she was joking.

"Boy, you're gonna fit in better than I thought," Bill said, earning a smirk and blush from Meg.

"Miss Myeroff?" a voice asked and they all turned to find the same orderly who had delivered the mail standing there.

"Yes?" she asked, wondering what he could want. She hoped it didn't have to do with Sobel.

"Colonel Sink wants you in his office ma'am," he said and she nodded, turning back to her group.

"Duty calls," she said before giving them a joking salute and following the orderly out of the mess hall.

"Ah, Miss Myeroff," the Colonel said when she walked into his office ten minutes later. "How is my favorite agent settling in?"

"Don't let Adam hear you say that," she teased before walking over to his desk. "I'm fitting in alright sir. I'm especially enjoying the company of the men from Easy. They're a fine group of men sir," she added, hoping he wouldn't get the wrong idea and think she was being unladylike and unprofessional.

"We can agree on that," he said before sitting back down at his desk and motioning for her to take the empty seat across from him. "Miss Myeroff I asked you to stop in here today on a professional matter," he said and she nodding, letting him know she knew the conversation would be important. "I assume you're well versed on map reading?" he asked and she smirked.

"I'm fair sir," she replied, her smile disappearing when she thought of another person who was much better than it at her. Christian used to tease her for her lack of map reading skills when they were at the International Intelligence Agency Academy, or IIAA as they called it. After they graduated he admitted he'd only done it because he knew it would force her to study harder.

"Well see here Myeroff, we've gotta teach these boys how to read a Goddamn map of Europe before we invade it. Think you could help them out?" he asked and she nodded, eager to do something besides sit around.

"Of course sir, I'm willing to do anything to help prepare. If you have any other courses you feel I would be able to contribute to, please feel free to ask."

"I will," he said, seeming happy with her offer. "The first course on map reading will be this afternoon at 1400. I trust that will give you enough time to prepare?"

"Prepare?" Meg asked, frowning lightly. "Sir, am I teaching the entire course myself?"

"Lieutenant Jones was supposed to but he cut himself pretty badly yesterday afternoon doing God knows what and now I'm down an instructor."

"Well I'm pleased you felt I was worthy of the job sir," Meg said, internally panicking. What was she going to teach these boys in nine hours?

As soon as she was dismissed from the Colonel's office, she returned to her barracks at a quick jog, eager to look things over.

Grabbing all of her personal maps and tools together, she rushed off to the classroom the Colonel had told her was open all day. It took two trips to transfer all her things and after her second trip was finished, she tossed everything on a table and sat down to began taking notes.

"Oh Christian, I wish you were here," she admitted under her breath as she worked.

She hadn't even realized she'd missed lunch until some of the men began filing in. Rising from her seat, she quickly pushed all her things way, making more room for them.

"Meg!" a voice shouted and she turned to smile at Joe Toye. He was followed into the room by the usual suspects.

"You sittin' in on this?" Bill asked as they all took a seat.

"Not quite," she admitted, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm teaching it."

Eyebrows shot up as every man in the room looked at her. Her nerves skyrocketed as she suddenly wondered what they thought of this. Sure, they all seemed to love having her around to hang out with, but did they necessarily want her teaching them skills she had known almost her whole life? If they were like most other men she had come across in this field, they would feel women shouldn't be telling them what to do.

"Good for you," George suddenly said and the guys around him all nodded somewhat slowly. Meg let out a breath of relief as she looked up and saw Dick shuffle in. He gave her a nod, telling her she was good to start.

"Alright then," she said loudly, quieting the crowd. "I'm sure all of you know of me by now but just in case you don't, my name is Megan Myeroff and I am an agent with the International Intelligence Agency. Lieutenant Jones was supposed to be instructing you lot on map reading today but unfortunately he is unable to be here. So, Colonel Sink has asked that I instruct you instead."

A few soft woops from the back of the room caused her to blush. Maybe the boys liked her better than she thought.

Over the next hour, Meg filled their brains with everything she felt a beginner's course should include. She showed them maps of Europe as a whole before breaking each country down and showing them more detail maps. She wished she knew more of the actual plans for their final invasion but she knew those were strictly confidential and even the men before her wouldn't know until possibly a few days beforehand.

"Well I think that's enough for today," she finally said when she felt she couldn't go on any longer. She was about to inform them that their next lesson would be more hands on but then she remembered the Colonel hadn't exactly told her she'd be teaching all the classes.

As the men began to file out of the room, she chuckled to herself. She felt like a school teacher,

"Nice job Meg," Muck said, stopping in front of her on his way out.

"Thank you," she said, sincerely meaning it. "I was so nervous, so I'm glad you thought it was good."

"What are you talking about?" Malarkey cried as he came up next to Muck. "It was great!"

She smiled at his enthusiasm before looking over Malarkey's shoulder and catching Lewis Nixon's eyes.

The two men seemed to notice her distracted look for they quickly said their farewells and followed the rest of the boys out, leaving the agent and the lieutenant alone.

Not knowing what to do or say, Meg turned and began busying herself with putting all her things together to carry back.

"Need help with those?" Lewis asked suddenly, stepping forward when he saw how much she would have to carry.

"I can manage," she said, wincing when she realized how formal their conversation seemed to be headed.

"Boy, I really messed this up didn't I?" he asked, and she couldn't help smiling softly at him.

"It's alright, I shouldn't have been asking such personal questions," she said but he shook his head, taking another step forward.

"That doesn't mean I was allowed to be rude to you," he replied, taking another step and coming to a stop in front of her. "Now will you stop being stubborn and let me carry your maps for you?"

Meg sighed before holding her arms out, passing over some of the rolled up canvases.

"Jesus, are these all yours?" Lewis asked as she leaned over and picked up a few more off the table.

"Yes," she replied as they turned and began walking out, both with their arms full of maps and map reading equipment.

"Well I guess it's a good think Sink picked you as Jones' replacement then," he said with a smirk. "I was afraid he was going to pick me."

"You _are_ the intelligence officer," she said as he stopped to salute a higher ranked officer, fumbling with her maps in the process. "I should have just carried them all myself," she said as she struggled to try and help him get them all back together.

"Need help?" a much appreciated voice called out. Both people turned with smiles as Dick walked quickly over.

"Yes!" they both cried and he laughed before reaching out to take some of Meg's maps from her, thus allowing her to take some of Lewis'. "Are these all yours?"

"Yes," she said again as the three of them turned in the direction of her barracks. "Well," she suddenly decided to clarify, "some of them are actually Adam's, but don't tell him I used them."

Lewis laughed as Dick looked at her with a twinkle in his eye.

"Your secret's safe with us," he said and Lewis nodded in agreement.

When they reached her barracks, she led the way inside, tossing her maps on her bed before turning and directing them to set theirs on the table.

"So this is what it's like to be a spy," Lewis said as he turned and looked around the room, making Meg blush under his scrutiny. "Anything exciting in here?"

"I think you've seen it all," she said, motioning to the maps while thinking of how excited he would be to see her decoding journal. "Thank you both so much for all your help in carrying those back."

"That eager to get rid of us?" Lewis asked and she shrugged, embarrassed at being called out.

"It's not that. Don't you boys have some sort of training exercise to run?"

"So she_ is_ trying to get rid of us," Lewis said to Dick, the second man remaining serious as he tipped his hat to her.

"We do actually have to go run some drills," he pointed out, causing Lewis to roll his eyes and Meg to hold back a chuckle. She could tell Lewis sometimes got annoyed with how proper Dick always was.

"Well I'm sure I'll be seeing you boys later," she replied and they both nodded before heading out the door.

After settling all her maps back in their proper place, Meg decided it would be a smart decision to stop in and see Colonel Sink. She needed to let him know how the course went and she definitely wanted to inform him of her interest to keep teaching.

She enjoyed herself.

The next morning Meg walked to breakfast only to find all the boys heading in the opposite direction.

"Field exercise," Floyd explained as he walked by, noting her confused face.

"Have fun!" she called after them, smirking when a few raised their hands in acknowledgement.

Being practically alone on the entire base was weird to Meg. All of the men were out running a field exercise, including most of the officers. Deciding she should use this to her advantage, she grabbed her pistol and headed to the shooting range, eager to get some practice in.

Her morning was spent hitting target after target. After awhile it got boring hitting the bull's-eye every time, so after shooting off 40 rounds or so she decided to call it a day on that. Putting everything back in perfect order so no one would know she had been there, she turned and walked over to the equipment the men used to train.

"I could climb that wall in a heartbeat," she said to herself as she eyed the tall wooden structure. Then, making sure no one was looking, she took a running start and leapt, grabbing onto the top and pulling herself up.

In that moment she was glad no one else was around; it was much harder than it looked when wearing a skirt. Her feet slipped a bit before she finally found a good hold and was able to pull herself all the way over.

"Ha!" she cried triumphantly when she landed. "I'd like to see the lads try _that_ in a skirt!" Taking a deep breath, she looked out over the rest of the training equipment.

Most likely the boys would be gone for hours. What would it hurt to try her hand at a few of the things they had to do?

She started with running through the ropes. Again, it was much harder in a skirt, but after hiking it up to her knees (and praying that no one saw her in such an indecent state) she was able to lift her legs up and jog through it rather quickly.

Climbing through the tunnel was harder. As her knee caught on her skirt again, sending her thumping to the bottom of the tunnel, she realizing she probably should have changed into trousers first. It seemed as if every exercise she did that morning would be hindered by her choice of dress.

As she rolled out of the tunnel, her eyes landed on the low netting of barbed wire.

She knew she shouldn't. After all, it would involve more crawling in a skirt, _and_ through the mud. Still, she couldn't help but be tempted as she slowly made her way over to get a closer look.

"Easy peasy," she said to herself as she walked to the beginning and got down onto the ground.

As it turned out, crawling underneath the barbed wire was not easy peasy. Soon she was covered in mud and completely regretting her decision. However, she was already halfway through, so either way would take the same amount of time.

"Might as well finish it," she mumbled as she raised her head to check her progress. "Ow!"

As she tried to bring her head back down, she realized she couldn't.

"Damnit," she said when she figured out what the holdup was. Her hair was caught in the barbed wire. Reaching her left hand up, she tried to fumble with the tangled strands, scratching her hand up quite badly. When all she seemed to do was tangle the mess tighter, she dropped her left hand and took a stab at it with her right hand. It garnered the same result. As small trails of blood now dripped down both hands, she sighed and tried to turn her head. If she could see the mess, she could untangle it better.

"Damnit," she swore again when a piece of the barbed wire scraped across her cheekbone. She heaved a loud sigh as she returned to her original position and felt the embarrassment start to creep in.

It looked like she was stuck here until someone came along to help free her.

Luckily she didn't have to wait long. She kept her eyes glued to the road and as soon as she saw a figure, she called out to them.

The young private heard her, turning in her direction before running over quickly.

"What happened ma'am?" he asked as he kneeled down to assess the situation.

"It seems these things weren't created with long hair in mind," she said in an attempt to make light of the situation. "My hair's caught and I can't seem to untangle it."

The private eyed the mess warily, obviously unsure of what he could do to help her out.

"Oh just start tugging," she said with a roll of her eyes at his hesitation. "I can handle it."

Reaching up her own hand, it didn't take long before the two of them got the knot undone. Then the private watched her as she clumsily made her way to the end, giving her a hand up as she crawled out.

"Are you sure you're alright ma'am?" he asked and she shrugged, reaching down to try and brush some mud off her dress.

"Just my pride private," she admitted with a shrug.

"And your cheek and hands ma'am," he added and she looked down at her lightly bleeding hands before reaching up and brushing the scratch on her cheek. "You might want to go find a medic to help with those."

"Alright Private Sawyer," she said, glancing down at the name sewn on his jacket. "What company are you with?"

"Fox Company ma'am," he said and she nodded before thanking him and heading off to the base hospital.

How utterly embarrassing.

"Let me just put some ointment on your cheek and then you're good to go," the medic was telling her a while later.

She had walked to the medic station, only to find it completely void of anyone. With a sigh, she walked around the entire building in the hopes of finding someone who could help her out. Finally coming across an orderly who was rewrapping bandages, he took one look at her face and hands before heading off to find a medic.

He returned roughly thirty minutes later, a medic hot on his heels. Apparently he had made her injuries sound worse than they were.

"Miss Myeroff," the medic said, his voice having a soothing tone to it. She smiled guiltily as she held up her hands.

"I seem to have had a nasty run in with some barbed wire," she explained and he nodded, staying completely professional.

"Go ahead and sit down," he told her and she obeyed, frowning lightly at him as he rifled through a cabinet.

"What's your accent?" she asked, having never heard it before.

"Cajun ma'am," he said, not turning around. "I'm from Louisiana."

"I see," she replied as he finally walked over, a tube of ointment and some bandages in his hand. "Oh I don't need all that," she started to say but he cut her off.

"You've been cut with barbed wire ma'am, we have to prevent infection."

"Oh alright," she said in an annoyed tone. She was mostly annoyed with herself; the medic was just doing his job. If she hadn't been foolish enough to try going through the barbed wire, this wouldn't have happened in the first place.

As the medic began blotting ointment on her cuts, she glanced at his jacket, noting his last name was Roe.

"What Company are you in Private Roe?" she asked, hoping to strike up a conversation so the situation didn't become any more awkward.

"Easy Company ma'am," he said and she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Really? I've never seen you before," she said and he chuckled lightly.

"I've seen you," he replied before continuing. "I like to keep more to myself," he then explained and she nodded.

When he had all finished up a few minutes later, she thanked him as he put his things away.

"I'm sorry I had to pull you away from your field exercise," she apologized and again he chuckled.

"Don't worry 'bout it," he told her honestly. "Sobel 'bout had us killed anyway. It's nice to get away from that mess, even for a short while."

"Boy, he must be really bad," she said and he nodded. "Well Private, thank you for all your help."

"Anytime ma'am," Roe said before she showed herself out.

Now if only she could make it back to her quarters before anyone spotted her and inquired on her injuries. Or her dirty clothes.

She had almost made it to her barracks when loud voices caused her to gasp and duck behind a building. A group of men she didn't recognize walked back and she held her breath, afraid they would spot her. When they had passed, she let lose the breath she had been holding and hurried the remainder of the way, leaning against the door as she shut it behind her.

Walking slowly over to her mirror, she surveyed the damage to her face, sighing when she realized just how awful she looked. Along with the two inch scrape along her cheek, her face was covered in mud. She looked like she'd spent the past few days fighting in the muddy trenches of Europe, not ten minutes crawling through a barbed wire training exercise.

She didn't even want to look at her dress. It wasn't exactly one of her favorites but she did like the deep blue color and the way it fit her figure. Hopefully the local laundry woman would be able to fix the damage.

It was a good few hours until dinner so she had plenty of time to get cleaned up and hope everything was less noticeable. The first step was changing out of her muddy clothes and into a fresh dress.

She used the water from her wash basin to scrub the mud off her face and arms, thanking God for whoever had decided to give them the luxury of a wash basin in their quarters. When she came to the conclusion that she was as clean as could be without taking a full shower, she decided she was decent enough to be seen in public. Grabbing her toiletries and a fresh towel, she headed off to the showers, hoping no one would be using them at this time of day. While most of the mud was gone from her skin, she could feel some of it matted in her hair.

A shower was definitely in order.

Luck was on her side when she got to the wash house. Not a single person was in there so she had them all to herself. Over the past few days, she had been given a specific time to shower and an orderly was sent to stand outside and make sure no one came in. Now however, she'd just have to hope that her good fortune continued.

Because of this, she took a rushed shower, stopping after she knew a good amount of the mud was out. While it felt nice to stand under the warm showerhead, she knew it was a risk she wasn't willing to take. Anyone could walk right in at any moment, and while there were separate stalls so no one would see anything right away, the embarrassment would still be there for all parties involved.

Just as she was buttoning up her skirt, the door to the showers was thrown open and a figure walking in.

Meg shrieked as she lifted her blouse up to cover her front. It wasn't so much that she was shy, it was more of a reflex.

Don Malarkey stood there, mouth agape and eyes wide before he realized what was going on. His hand flew up to his eyes and he turned so his back was to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't see anything I swear!" he cried as she used the time to quickly button her blouse up.

"It's alright Malarkey," she said when she'd finished. Walking over to him, she pulled his hand down from his face, chuckling. "I'm sure it's nothing you haven't seen before," she added cheekily and she smirked when she saw him blush.

"Uh..." he stuttered, not really knowing how to respond to her bold accusation.

Deciding it would be best to leave him in his speechless state, she patted him on the shoulder before walking past him, heading back outside.

That evening she again sat with her usual boys at dinner. It was so natural to sit with them that it almost felt like they had assigned seats. George to her left, Muck across from her, Bill on his left, and Muck across from George.

"So how was your exercise today?" she asked as they ate their food. She had learned to stop asking what the food was and just appreciate that it was keeping her full. Besides, she'd had much worse on long missions before.

"Shit," George said before wincing. "I mean it stank," he clarified, throwing her an apologetic look.

"Yeah, Sobel's gonna get us killed if he acts like that in combat," Malarkey added in, eyeing his plate. Meg had been watching him all evening and had a chuckle at the fact that he was avoiding eye contact.

"We're gonna be so obvious when we get out in combat it'll be like we're running buck naked," George said, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"Speaking of being naked..." Muck started and suddenly Meg realized this trail of conversation had been George's plan. "We hear you had an interesting run in with Malarkey this afternoon Meg."

At that statement Malarkey blushed, shoving Muck in the arm but still avoiding eye contact with Meg.

"Is that why he's not talking to me?" Meg asked, feeling the need to lower the tension. "I thought maybe the scratch on my face was too horrible for him to look at."

"Speaking of which, where did you get that scratch?" Bill asked, picking up on her bait. Finally Malarkey looked up, locking eyes with her and throwing a kind smile.

"Didn't you hear? Sawyer from Fox has been talkin' about it to anyone who'll listen," George said and Meg groaned. Discretion was obviously not in these soldiers' vocabularies. "Our girl here was attempting some of our training exercises and her hair got caught in the barbed wire. He had to help her get out and then take her to the hospital."

"He did not take me to the hospital, I took myself," she felt the need to clarify, too embarrassed to make any other comments.

The guys laughed, including Malarkey, who felt more comfortable in this discussion.

"Thought you could be on par with us paratroopers Meg?" Muck asked and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I could leave all you boys in the dust," she threatened, earning a round of 'Ohs' from the table. "However it's obvious that particular exercise was not invented with women in mind. Perhaps if my hair were shorter, or if I were wearing a helmet," she finished before taking a drink of her water.

"So that's how you got the scratches on your hands too?" Bill asked and she nodded, holding them up so they could see better. She had taken the bandages off just before dinner, deciding that made her wounds look worse. The red lines were still very visible though, making her injuries very obvious.

"What about that mark on your shoulder?" Malarkey spoke for the first time, causing them all to look at her. Meg's heart dropped.

"The what?" she asked in a nonchalant tone, trying and failing to sound like she didn't know what he was asking.

"The mark on your shoulder. The one I saw earlier today when..." he trailed off, suddenly realizing what he was referring to.

"Oh…no," she said, hoping that would be the end of it. It wasn't.

"Where'd you get the mark on your shoulder from then?" Bill asked, prodding her. Finally deciding they weren't going to let it blow off, she sighed before replying.

"Spain, 1937," she said. Looking up, she realized she'd need to explain more. "I got shot during the Spanish Civil War," she told them.

"No shit?" George asked, seeming to forget his language.

"What were you doing in Spain during the Spanish Civil war?" Muck asked and his question seemed to be what everybody was wondering.

"I was working a job with my team," she said before realizing she'd have to recount the story. "I was 17 and we were over there in support of the Republicans. We were sent by a party who shall remain confidential," she finished and the boys looked at her.

"Why? That war's over," Bill said, as if her reasoning was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

"Yes, well some things are meant to be confidential forever."

"But-" Muck started but Meg cut him off.

"I'm sorry, but I was sworn to secrecy on this one lads. I'm an agent, it's what I do. Some things I can talk about when they finish, some things I can't."

The boys seemed to contemplate what she'd said before finally nodding that they understood.

"So, shot in the shoulder huh?" Bill asked, and she nodded with a smirk. "Did it hurt like hell?"

"Not at all," she lied, grinning.

* * *

_You know where that button down there is, and you know what it's for. I'd REALLY love to hear what everyone thinks!_

_Thanks to my only reviewer for last chapter, LovingBOBThePacific! Yeah, my sister's having a blast at college (I think). We're not really hearing from her very much so I guess that's a good sign haha. As for your fic, sure! Did you have a specific one in mind? I'd happily read anything. And yeah, I love hot headed men so I'm glad you like Nix as that haha._


	7. What kinda lady are you?

_Well here it is! I'm impressed with myself for getting this out haha. Our county fair started today so I'm pretty much living on fair food for the next five days. This is what happens when you did 4-H for 11 years…even when you've been done with 4-H for 6 years, you STILL get pulled back to help out._

_Anyway, enough of my rant/blurb/whatever that was._

_So apparently my chapters are just going to keep getting longer…by around 1,000 words each time. Hopefully that doesn't keep up or by chapter 20 it's going to take you all two days just to read it hahaha._

_But this is a long author's note, so without further ado…_

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Meg wished she had paid more attention to the German's she'd killed over the past few years.

She was currently standing over a table, looking down at five German guns and for the life of her she couldn't remember anything about them.

It was a rainy Wednesday morning and the boys were set to spend the next two hours in a classroom studying German military weapons.

"Planning how best to impress us with your skills?" a voice asked and she turned to find Lewis Nixon leaning against the doorframe.

"No," she replied with a laugh. "Planning how far away I should be when the boys arrive so no one can find out I don't know what any of these are," she admitted and Lewis laughed.

"Really? None of them?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"I've seen all of them before, I just couldn't tell you what they are," she said as he walked over to look at them with her. "The make of gun wasn't exactly on my mind when they were being aimed at me," she shot out and Lew smirked at her sarcastic tone.

There were six weapons on the table; four pistols and two rifles.

"Well that's a Radom," Lewis said, pointing to the first one. "That's a Luger and that's an Astra. Then those rifles are both Karabiners."

"I take it you've already had this lesson?" Meg asked coyly and Lewis nodded with a laugh. "Well that's just not fair."

"Hey," he replied, throwing his hands up in mock surrender, "I've only seen them in a classroom. You've seen them in the field. It's your own fault you don't know what they are."

Meg leaned over the table and picked up the pistol Lewis hadn't named.

"I've seen this one up close before," she said softly, almost to herself. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember exactly when it was.

_ "Hey check this out!" Adam shouted, running down the hall to catch up to Meg and Christian. He was holding up a pistol and Meg smirked._

_ "So Marco forgave you for practically demolishing the last one?" she asked and he scowled at her._

_ "It's not my fault it got run over in Italy," He shot back before holding the gun out for them to see. "It's the new Sauer," he bragged and Meg's eyebrows shot up. "They just started production," he added, but they all knew that._

_ "Maybe I should get my gun run over," Meg said, eyeing the older pistol at her hip._

_ "Yeah right, like Marco would let you get a brand new Sauer. Maybe for your 22nd birthday," he teased and she frowned._

_ "Well check this one out," Christian suddenly spoke up, holding his own pistol out._

_ "Where did you get that?" Meg asked, her eyes growing even wider._

_ "Yeah, that's sure not IIA regulation," Adam put in._

_ "It's a Walther PPK," he told them, flipping it over so they could see the whole thing. "I just got it a couple weeks ago."_

_ "Where?" Meg asked, surprised that he had gotten a hold of something like that from anyone but the IIA._

_ "A friend of my dad's," he said with a shrug, putting it back in its holster.  
_

"That's a Walther," Meg said, opening her eyes and setting the gun back down.

"Yeah that's right, a Walther," Lewis agreed, looking at her with a slight frown. "How did you know that?"

"A friend of mine used to have one," she explained simply before turning to him and putting on a false smile. "So do you have to sit in on this lesson again?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Of course not, one round was good enough for me," he replied with a smirk. "Besides, if the rest of the boys are all sitting in on lessons, who's gonna keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get into trouble with the training equipment again?"

Meg groaned.

"You heard about that?" she asked, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.

"Meg, I don't think there's a person in Aldbourne who didn't hear about that," he informed her. "It looks like it's healing well though," he added, suddenly reaching his hand up to run his thumb along the scratch on her cheek.

Meg froze, not entirely knowing what to do. Lewis seemed to realize what he was doing and quickly dropped his hand, looking away. Luckily they were both saved the embarrassment by the arrival of the men, Easy Company filing in first.

"Don't tell us you're teaching this one too!" George cried when they spotted her.

"No," she said with a laugh, turning away from Lewis and sighing in relief. "Just taking a look on my own time," she explained before nodding to them all. "Have fun."

And before anyone could say anything else she was out the door, Lewis hot on her heels.

"So what are your plans for the next two hours?" he asked as he fell into step next to her.

"What are _your_ plans?" she asked, turning the question on him. "Don't you have some sort of important intelligence officer paperwork to be working on?" she asked and he laughed.

"Actually I do. Want to get out of this rain and head to my office? I can offer you a nice cup of coffee...or tea," he added, "whichever you prefer."

Once again, Meg's first thought was to turn down his offer. While the past few days had proven that she could stand being around him for long periods of time, there were still moments when he got to be too much.

"Alright," she found herself answering. "But only for the tea," she clarified and he laughed, nodding.

"Of course."

Twenty minutes later found Meg leaning against the window frames of Lewis' office, gazing out of them, teacup in hand

He had managed to scrounge up some Earl Gray for her, much to her surprise. Everything was quiet, save for the 'tap' 'tap' of his typewriter as he wrote out reports.

"You know when I was little," she suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. Lewis' fingers slowed on the typewriter as he glanced up at her. She continued. "When I was little, my mother and I used to love rainstorms. We had them all the time, it was England of course, but I don't think there was a single one we didn't go outside and dance in."

She turned away from the window then, glancing at him.

"Every one?" he asked, obviously not believing her.

"It was our favorite thing to do. We would always put on our galoshes and hurry outside to jump in the puddles." She laughed at the memory of it. "Father used to always be so mad when he'd come home to find us drenched, pools of water throughout the house." She trailed off, glancing back out the window. "But it didn't matter. Every time it rained, we did it again."

Lewis stared at her as she spoke, watching as she finally stopped. It was obvious she was caught in a dream, a memory of a time long gone. After a beat of silence she seemed to realize what was going on and turned to him, blushing.

"Sorry, I'm interrupting your typing," she said but he waved her off, leaning back in his desk chair.

"I needed the break anyway, my fingers are getting stiff," he explained and she laughed, walking over to lean against his desk.

"You were barely writing for ten minutes," she said and he shrugged.

"Eh, I still needed the break."

"So what about you Lieutenant Nixon? Do you enjoy the English weather?"

"Oh God, not more questions," he teasingly moaned. It made her happy though, because she realized he was making light of their spat from before. "I dunno, it's alright I guess. It'd be nice if it wasn't raining all the time."

"That's England for you," she sighed as she set her teacup down and walked back over to the window.

"Am I boring you?" he asked, head bent back over his typewriter.

"Not at all," she responded. "Let me know if I'm annoying you and affecting your work."

"Annoying, yes. Affecting, no," he said before looking up and tossing her a wink.

"Lewis," she started to ask a question but he cut her off.

"Lew. Only my mother calls me Lewis, and it annoys the hell outta me," he said and she nodded, feeling bad that she forgot what he'd told her to call him on her first day.

"Sorry," she said quickly before continuing with her question. "Lew, if all the men seem to hate Sobel, why is he still in charge of Easy Company?"

"It's not that easy," he said, once again removing his hands from the typewriter. "I wish it were, but it's not. Is it that easy where you come from?"

"You mean at the IIA?" she asked, mostly to remind him of what it was called. "Of course it is. If you get a team together and the team members don't have faith in their leader, you report to Marco and after an evaluation the leader's removed. You can't have someone lead a group of people on a mission if the team doesn't trust them. That's how missions get botched or people get killed."

"I wish the American military was more like the II whatever," Lew said as a knock sounded on the door.

"Lieutenant?" a voice asked as an orderly peeked his head around the corner. "The Colonel would like to see you in his office."

"Alright I'll be right there," Lew said before standing up. "Well, duty calls. Feel free to make yourself at home if you'd like to stay out of the rain for a bit longer."

Meg waved off his suggestion quickly, turning to walk with him toward the door.

"I should be heading back. Besides, haven't you been listening? I love the rain."

And before he could say anything else, she was off down the hallway, a chipper skip in her step.

Lew stood there for a moment, watching her with a chuckle and a shake of his head. When she turned the corner and disappeared from sight, he too turned, heading in the direction of the second floor and Colonel Sink's office.

As Meg made her way slowly back to her quarters, she reveled in the rain, holding her arms out and allowing the raindrops to hit her skin. Despite the fact that it was October and thus the rain was cold, she enjoyed it. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed the rain.

That realization hit her like a ton of bricks, causing her to stop dead in the middle of the walkway. A corporal behind her made an annoyed noise before walking around her, continuing on his way, but she ignored him.

What were these Easy men doing to her? Before she had arrived at Aldbourne, she had been a broken woman, carelessly pieced back together with uneven edges and sharp chips missing. Not even one week surrounded by the paratroopers and already she seemed almost back to her old, happy self; a self people hadn't seen in over a year.

Wouldn't Adam be surprised when he got back? Surprised and annoyed. He had been trying to get her out of the tough shell she'd built for almost as long as she had been in it. His attempts had been in vain, but he had refused to give up, trying everything he could until Marco had sent Meg down to Level 3 to spend time in solitary confinement, monitored by the doctors there.

One day had turned into five. One week had turned into three. One month had turned into eight, and before she knew it, she had been in Level 3 for a year. With Adam off on constant missions and Marco afraid of what Meg would do to herself, she hadn't seen anyone except the doctors and the occasional check up from Marco.

But now here she was, chatting and joking with the Americans like it was a completely normal thing.

They had changed her for the better.

* * *

That Friday the boys had prodded and pushed Meg, begging her to come out with them.

"I really shouldn't..." she trailed off, wondering how much they would insist.

"C'mon Meg!" George pleaded, giving her a sad pair of puppy eyes.

"Yeah c'mon Meg!" Malarkey added and she had to hold back a grin. It had taken a few more interactions, but Malarkey was able to look her in the eye without blushing anymore. It was progress.

"I went out two nights last weekend. I really should be working. You know I've barely done any training of my own since I got here," she said but Bill shook it off.

"That's what weekdays are for," he argued. Meg heaved a large, dramatic sigh.

In truth, she was more than happy to say yes. After her epiphany on Wednesday she knew she wanted to spend as much time with these boys as possible. They were good for her; a breath of fresh air after being locked in a stuffy room. So maybe it was a slightly narcissistic part of her that enjoyed hearing them try so hard to get her to go out with them.

Just as she was about to say yes, a body appeared before them and they all looked up into the eyes of Lipton.

Meg hadn't had the pleasure of talking to him at all, but she had heard from the other guys that he was one of the best; a good soldier and a good man.

"Just heard from Winters. We're doing a night exercise tonight," he said and all the guys at the table groaned. "They want us lined up at 1900."

"I guess we'll have to take a rain check on that night out," George said to Meg. She smiled, patting him on the arm.

"It's alright. This way I'll get my work done and will have plenty of time to be out with you boys tomorrow," she said, hoping to cheer them up a bit.

The rest of dinner was devoted to the boys complaining about the exercise before they finally rose from their seats, needing the time to head back and get ready.

"Good luck!" she called after them before rising from her own seat and heading back to her quarters, located in the opposite direction from theirs.

If she was being completely honest with herself, she was starting to miss Adam. After all, they had only been together for about a day before he had headed out again, and before that it had been a year. In those few hours she had spent with him that week, she had realized just how much she had missed him that past year. Maybe it was the way she was changing and becoming more open, but she suddenly wished he was there to talk to. She needed someone to talk to and who better than a brother?

She spent the rest of the night thinking about Adam, thinking of all the things she wanted to say to him in the hopes that maybe those thoughts would help make her feel better. Instead they brought her nightmares back.

For the third time that week, she found herself walking along the footpath in the early hours of the morning. This time however, no one came across her. She found herself missing the short conversations she'd had with Dick in this situation previously. It was nice to run into someone who would instantly make you feel better, and Dick was one of those people.

But he never showed, and instead she found herself drifting through the different barracks, keeping quiet and to the shadows as she walked. It was almost four am before she returned to her bed, hoping that nothing would disturb her in the morning so she could sleep in a bit if need be. It wouldn't hurt anyone if she showed up for breakfast a little late, and if it was too late she could just head into the town and stop at one of the local places to pick up something.

She had been meaning to do that anyway. Her interaction with her fellow Brits had been lacking over the past week, not to mention the past year. She was eager for conversation with someone who was more on par with everything. While she wasn't complaining about hanging with the Americans, there were times when an English girl just needed to talk to someone else who was English.

Deciding she'd go straight into town in the morning, she settled into bed, thoughts of Germany and Christian completely gone from her head.

* * *

Saturday afternoon, as she was walking back from the mailroom, she bumped into Lew and Dick, both looking perturbed. Dick was holding a piece of paper like it was going to bite him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, coming up to fall in step beside them. "Bad news from home?"

"Worse," Lew informed her as Dick handed over the piece of paper he was holding. Meg skimmed the page, her eyebrows rising up to her hairline in surprise.

"He spelled Court Martial wrong," she said first, earning a snort from Lew. "Can he seriously get away with this?" she asked next and both men shrugged. "I must say, the American Army has a peculiar way of running things. If this was IIA, Sobel would have been out months ago."

"Yeah well, as we discussed before, not all of us can be so lucky," Lew said, tossing her a wink.

"What's the IIA stand for again?" Dick asked, seeming to forget about the piece of paper for a second.

"International Intelligence Agency," she replied, smirking. It was an easy acronym, so she didn't understand why they kept forgetting.

The group lapsed into silence for a second before Meg turned their thoughts back to the piece of paper.

"What are you going to do?" she asked and she handed the letter back to Dick.

This was rather serious.

"I dunno," Dick said with a shrug. "Fight it I suppose. Excuse me."

Meg and Lew stopped walking, watching as their friend sped up and headed in the direction of HQ.

"They can't really Court Martial him for that, can they?" she asked Lew as they watched the tall redhead grow smaller.

"I'd like to think not," he said before turning to her. "So, anything exciting in your mail?" he asked, nodding to the two letters she had tucked under her arm.

"Well definitely not as exciting as a bottle of whiskey," she replied with a grin. "I've got one from Adam and I suppose the other is from Marco."

"Your commanding officer," Lew clarified and she nodded. "When is Adam coming back?"

"Why, sick of me already?" Meg asked with a smirk, which Lew returned.

"Sick of trying to keep you in line," he shot back. "Your brother's way better at it than I am."

Instead of gracing Lew's comment with a response, Meg tore open Adam's letter and skimmed it quickly.

"He says he expects to be back by tomorrow," she informed him, folding up the rest of the letter to read in privacy later.

"Another whole day on your own. And a Saturday at that," Lew said, raising his eyebrows as if this was a big deal. "Whatever are you going to do with your time?"

"I don't know," Meg said with a shrug as they both turned and began walking. "The lads were trying to convince me to head to the pub with them last night before the impromptu evening exercise. I suppose I may give in and go there tonight...as long as my reports are done."

Lew scoffed.

"Reports for what? How to get your hair caught in barbed wire?"

Meg wrinkled her nose at his joke.

"For your information, I am in constant contact with the IIA. Occasionally they send me things to look over. Confidential things I'll have you know."

Lew rolled his eyes at the term confidential.

"Well save your reports for tomorrow. This is your last night of freedom before the slave driver returns."

"If Adam heard you call him that I doubt he'd be as friendly with you as he is."

"Friendly is not a term I would use to describe how your brother has interacted with me," Lew informed her. Meg just shrugged again.

"He's just worried about me."

"And he thinks I'll do something to hurt you?" Lew asked, feigning hurt. Meg chuckled lightly before turning serious.

"The last time I was close to another man he..." she trailed off as a wave of sadness crashed over her. She hadn't thought about Christian at all since waking from her nightmare the night before. Thinking about him again brought back all her nightmarish thoughts. Lew noticed her hesitation and stopped, turning to give her his full attention. "Well it didn't end well," she finished before turning and quickly heading off, leaving Lew alone.

Alone and feeling slightly angered at the thought of another man hurting Meg.

* * *

Nine o'clock that night found Meg in a dilemma.

She was standing by her bed, eying two separate dresses with no idea which one to wear.

It had been exactly one week since she had met the men, and in that week she had gotten to know them well. So well, in fact, that she felt she couldn't just throw any old dress on to go to the pub.

Which was why she was currently trying to decide between a black sheathed dress and a red dress with a full-circle skirt. Her hair was currently up in curlers and she reached up to tug at one that was slightly tight, frowning as she pondered which dress to choose.

Of course she could very well wear one this weekend and one next weekend, but it was this weekend that would make the biggest impression. Sure the boys knew her, and most likely their opinions of her wouldn't go down if she showed up in a burlap sack. However she knew she had a lot to prove to the men like Sobel who felt she shouldn't be there, whether because she was a girl, because she was a Brit, or because she was a spy.

Finally deciding on the red dress, she turned and headed over to the mirror, beginning to do her makeup. She didn't want to overdo it, but these boys were so used to seeing her dressed down that she wanted to remind them that she was still a woman.

It was almost 9:30 when she decided she was ready. Slipping on her black heels, she turned and headed out the door.

She was still a block away from the pub when she heard the noise. It was a mixture of background music and rambunctious, male voices. Smirking to herself, she rounded the corner and felt herself drawn in to the light from the windows. Stepping over the threshold, she took in the sight, trying to spot any of her favorites.

"Meg!" a voice cried and she turned to see Muck making his way through the crowd to her, a beer bottle in each hand.

"Muck," she replied with a smile, stepping over to meet him in the crowd. "Where are you boys sitting?"

"Over there," Muck said, lifting one beer-filled hand to motion in the direction. She squinted her eyes and quickly spotted a table with a few familiar faces back by the dartboards. She decided that must be their usual place.

"Alright, I'll join you all in a minute," she said, patting him on the chest as she walked around him and over toward the bar.

"What can I get you ma'am?" the older bartender asked, coming to a stop in front of her.

"Gin on the rocks," a voice to her left said. Turning with raised eyebrows, she smirked at Lew as he came to a stop next to her.

"Is this going to become a weekly occurrence for us then?" she asked and he shrugged.

"If you want it to be," he replied as the bartender returned with her drink. Turning to the crowd, Lew placed his hand on the small of her back, sending a small shiver through her. She allowed him to lead her through the crowd, over to a table that was occupied by Harry and another man she recognized but didn't know.

"Boy, you're pulling out all the stops tonight," she said with a smirk as Lew pulled his chair out for her before grabbing another one from another table for himself.

"What can I say?" Lew responded, his signature smirk gracing his lips.

Not wanting to give him any satisfaction, Meg turned to the rest of the group, focusing on the man she didn't know.

"Meg, this is Lieutenant Ronald Spiers. Ron, this is Meg Myeroff."

"So, I finally get to meet the mysterious British spy," Ron said, aiming a slightly sadistic smirk at her.

Meg didn't know whether to take it as a joke or as a serious comment.

"Are you with Easy Company?" she chose to ask instead. He shook his head.

"No, Fox Company," he said before Lew cut him off.

"Not quite as good as Easy," he asked boisterously. "Right Ron?"

If looks could kill, Meg thought it would have been smart for her to carry a firearm, for Lew's protection.

"So," Meg said, turning to address the group as a whole. "How goes it with Dick and Sobel?"

Before the other two could answer, Lew had cut in again, this time with a laugh.

"Sobel gave him the option to either have his 48-hour passes revoked for 60 days or to initiate a letter of appeal to request a trial by Court Martial and that lugnut chose the second."

"What does that mean?" Meg asked, thoroughly confused by American military politics.

"It means that they'll have a military trial to determine whether Dick is guilty of insubordination. If he's found guilty, he'll be court martialed," Harry explained and Meg scowled.

"I just don't get how they can do that," she said into her drink and Lew shrugged.

"Well hopefully they can't," he told her.

"It looks like you're being summoned," Harry said suddenly and Meg looked in the direction he was indicating.

George, Muck and Joe Toye were all standing up, looking in their direction. When Meg spotted them, the three started waving their hands frantically, motioning for her to join them. Finishing her drink in one gulp, Meg stood, nodding to the three lieutenants before heading through the crowd.

"Whatcha doin' Meg?" George asked when she approached, "choosing the higher-ups over us?"

"Of course not," Meg said with a sarcastic chuckle. "But since Lieutenant Nixon bought my drink, I thought it only right I sit with them for a moment."

"What drink?" Muck asked, nodding to her two empty hands.

"I finished it," she said and Muck turned around to face the bar.

"Gonorrhea!" he shouted, getting the attention of his friend. "Grab Meg a drink will ya?"

"Are you boys trying to get me drunk?" Meg asked with a smirk as she followed them over to the dartboards.

"Of course we are," George said, acting as if this was completely obvious. "We want to have our wicked ways with you."

Meg locked eyes with him, shaking her head when he winked, indicating he was joking.

"Anyone care for a game of darts?" she asked casually, motioning to the empty boards near them.

"Hell no!" Bill said, walking back over and handing her a large pint of beer. "We learned our lesson last weekend. If we play, you can watch."

Meg just shrugged, raising the glass to her lips and taking a large sip.

"So," George started as the other boys broke into teams of two, getting ready to play a round. "Nixon bought you a drink huh?"

Meg rolled her eyes, turning to the paratrooper.

"What are you, my brother?" she asked sarcastically.

"Only when Adam's not around," he shot back before throwing her a grin.

Meg groaned when she realized he wasn't going to let it up.

"He just happened to be at the bar when I was so he bought me my drink," she said, not feeling the need to go into any more detail.

"Correction," George said, setting his drink down so he could light himself a cigarette, "he just happened to spot you on your way to the bar and decided to meet you there. I watched the whole thing," he clarified when Meg eyed him with an annoyed look.

"You're taking this babysitting thing too seriously. Besides, he's married remember?" she asked as Muck called her name.

"Come over here and give Bill and me some good luck!" he shouted.

Turning to George, Meg stuck her tongue out at him in a very unladylike fashion. Then she spun on her heel and headed over to join Muck and Bill, placing a kiss on the cheeks of both.

"For good luck," she said before pulling up a stool to sit next to them.

"Babe, I think you need to be my good luck charm every match," Bill said thirty minutes later. He and Muck had successfully beaten the Joes, earning them two packs of Lucky Strikes. "Muck, get her another drink on us."

"Make it a gin on the rocks," Meg called and Muck nodded, indicating he had heard her.

"Gin? Say, what kinda lady are you?" Joe Toye asked as he sat down next to Bill.

"One who doesn't take shit," she said and Bill raised his nearly empty glass to her foul language.

"Hear hear," he said before finishing it.

For the next two hours, the small group of Easy Company men entertained Meg, telling her stories from Taccoa, jokes from home, and giving her the lowdown on what to expect from some of the other paratroopers.

When the clock struck 11, Meg put down her fifth drink, blinking a few times to bring her eyes to focus.

"I should probably go," she said, looking around for her coat and finding it on the back of her chair. She hadn't even remembered putting it there.

"But it's only 11," George argued and she nodded.

"I know I know," she said, standing up slowly. "But I've drank way too much tonight and I should get to bed."

"I'll walk you," Muck, Toye and Liebgot all said at the same time, stopping to eye each other.

"No, no, no," she said, pulling away from her chair. "I prefer walking alone."

And before any of them could argue, she was already weaving her way to the door.

"Meg," a voice said and a body stopped in front of her, causing her to look into the concerned eyes of Harry Welsh.

"Harry," she said with a small nod of her head.

"Are you alright? Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked but she waved him off, stepping around him.

"I'm fine," she said, continuing on her path toward the door and ignoring him when he called her name again.

She was halfway home when she realized someone was following her.

She assumed the person had been following her since the pub and once again she had to curse herself for letting her senses go lax. Then she cursed herself again when she realized she had neither a gun nor a blade. If the person attacked, she'd have to protect herself with her bare hands.

Knowing she couldn't take them as easily as she had Cobb in her current condition, she picked up the pace, breaking into a quick jog.

"Christ Meg," a familiar voice called out of the darkness, "can't you go easy on a guy who's just trying to make sure you get home alright?"

Coming to a quick halt, she spun around, watching Lew approach out of the darkness.

"What are you trying to do, scare a girl to death?" she asked, putting her hand to her heart to feel it beating faster than normal.

"That's not usually my goal where women are concerned," he joked as he came to a stop in front of her. "I heard you wouldn't let anyone walk you home," he stated.

"Harry," Meg cursed the lieutenant under her breath.

"Well actually I heard it from George Luz first, but Harry did tell me something similar. I also heard you were drunk."

"Who's the spy now?" she asked, looking up into his eyes. She was surprised to see that behind his less than sober gaze, they were laced with concern.

"Come on," he said, taking her arm in his. "Let go of your damn pride for one night and let a guy walk you home safely."

Meg was about to argue when she felt her ankle roll slightly, causing her to need to re-step to steady herself. Lew's hands shot out on instinct to help.

"Alright, so maybe I am a little drunk," she admitted, still not ready to admit she might need help walking home.

Looking up, she frowned when she saw Lew looked pretty pleased at himself for getting it right.

"No need to gloat," she said, turning back to face the direction she was heading. "So are you going to walk me back or what?" she finally conceded, realizing he wouldn't stop pestering her until she agreed.

The two took off, falling silent except for the sounds of their shoes on the stones. As they continued to walk, Meg focused on her shoes, listening to the clack-clack of her heels. Focusing too much would be her downfall.

Hitting her left shoe on a large rock, she pitched forward suddenly, being steadied by Lew's arm through hers.

"Boy you're filling every drunken stereotype tonight aren't you?" he asked with exaggerated annoyance as they paused so she could get her bearings.

"What other ones have I filled?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Slurring your words, making poor decisions (such as choosing to walk home alone), and stumbling. And I thought the boys were bad."

"Excuse me lieutenant, I haven't slurred my words once," she stated, earning a chuckle from him.

"Coulda fooled me," he told her as they continued walking.

When she suddenly stumbled a second time, Lew sighed and stopped, turning so his back was to her and squatting down.

"Get on," he said and she frowned, looking down at his back in confusion.

"I'm sorry?" she asked and he rolled his eyes.

"Get on my back. It'll take us forever to get you back if you keep stumbling every two feet."

Suddenly realizing what exactly he meant, she blushed, immediately shaking her head in protest.

"You can't carry me all the way back to my quarters," she said in exasperation.

"Meg, I carry 80 extra pounds whenever I do anything in full gear, I think I can handle carrying you to your quarters," he argued, his tone now starting to sound annoyed with her.

"This is highly inappropriate," Meg informed him as she walked over and sat down on top of him. "Hold on," she said as she pulled her skirt out gracefully. In that moment she was completely happy with her choice to not wear the black sheath dress. She would never have been able to do this in that thing.

"Are you ready yet?" Lew asked and Meg sighed, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck. He took that as his signal and stood up, reaching back to wrap his arms around her legs, his hands grazing her behind.

"Lewis Nixon!" Meg cried, squirming slightly and consequently choking him.

"Meg relax and stop trying to kill me," he said, making her realize what she had done. Loosening her grip around his neck, she tried to slide away from his hands. "If I don't hold you I'll drop you," he explained as they began to walk. "Didn't you used to do this as a kid?"

"I must have skipped that childhood milestone," she said dryly.

As they walked she felt herself slip with each step and out of reflex, she tightened her legs around his waist.

"Boy Meg, you sure move fast," Lew said, turning his head so she could hear him. "At least let me take you to dinner first."

Annoyed at his comment, she let go of his neck with one arm and slapped the back of his shoulder.

"Lewis Nixon if you don't stop with the suggestive comments I'm going to jump off your back and go home myself."

"You'd make it five feet before you hurt yourself permanently," he shot back amusedly.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Meg said under her breath and Lew chuckled. "You should be worried too mister. You're the one who's married."

"It's not like anyone will see us," he told her, "they're all still at the pub like normal drinkers on a Saturday night."

"Well I know one thing for sure," Meg said, ignoring his jab at her, "if you lot drink this much when you're in actual combat, the Germans are sure to win."

With the extra weight he was carrying, it took Lew longer than normal to reach her barracks. When they finally arrived, he let go of her, letting her slide down onto the front step.

"There ya go," he said as if he was talking to a child. Because of the chilly walk back, Meg had sobered up a small amount and did not find his patronizing tone humorous.

"Lew," she warned and he turned to receive the blunt of her scolding. However, before she could say anything, she realized just how close they were to each other. So close, in fact, that she had to tilt her head a great deal in order to be able to look into his eyes.

They both stood there, frozen in time as they looked at each other. It may have been seconds, or it may have been minutes, but suddenly Meg was pulled back to reality and she stepped back quickly.

"Good night lieutenant," she said roughly, hoping to cover up any emotion she had accidentally let show. "Thank you for carrying me home."

And before he could respond, she was shutting the door in his face. Hurrying over to the small window, she peeked out of it, watching as he stood there on the step for a moment, looking at the door where she had just disappeared.

The whole exchange confused her, and if the look on his face was any indication, he was having the same reaction. Finally, he reached up to run his left fingers through his hair and with a big heaving sigh he turned, heading in the direction of the officers' barracks.

With him gone, Meg sighed herself, plopping into the chair next to her.

What the hell was that all about? Not only did she know it was a bad idea to go getting involved with an American paratrooper while she was stationed her, this was Lewis Nixon for Lord's sake! If the fact that he annoyed the hell out of her wasn't enough to sway the idea then the fact that he was married definitely should have.

"Married," she repeated under her breath as she finally stood up a few minutes later, heading to her bed on wobbly legs. "The bloke is married."

* * *

_I got so many reviews last chapter! It was like my birthday! Make sure to review for this chapter too! Let me know what you think of Meg and Lew!_

_Tegan Ganmore – no biggie, I sometimes forget to comment so believe me, I've been there haha. I'm glad you were happy with Meg's little incident. Making her more human is exactly what I was going for so I'm glad you saw it that way. Also, I'm still waiting on your PM about your headcanon! Haha_

_LovingBOBThePacific – Thanks for the review! This week has got me so busy getting ready for Fair that I haven't had a chance to look at your stories yet. (I barely even got to look at my own chapter! Haha) Don't worry though, after Monday night I will DEFINITELY have more time to read! _

_LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX – First, I seriously hope I got your name right. If not, I'm sorry haha. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing my story! I'm glad you're enjoying it! As far as Europe is concerned…you're just going to have to wait and see! There's still a while yet, so don't worry!_

_Paintmyworlddarkblue – I'm so glad you're a new reader! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! I'm glad you like Meg, I do too! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!_

_IceColdInAlex – As I mentioned up there to LovingBOBThePacific, this week has got me swamped but next week I promise to look over everyone's stories hahaha. For now I will thank you for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying my story and you're liking the banter between Meg and the guys. Sometimes I feel like those conversations are my weak spots so it's nice to know that you're enjoying it._

_To the two guests who reviewed: Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review! Leave your name next time so I can thank you specifically!_


	8. To Not Getting Killed

_You should all be super impressed with me getting this out. This week has been way more stressful than I imagined (and of course it's all my fault...because that's what I do!)_

_Anyway, long story short, I have this friend that I've known for like, 9 years or so. We call each other "Fair Friends" because we ONLY ever hang out during Fair. Well, pretty sure he's been infatuated with me for almost as long as we've known each other (even including that break when I was at college and didn't come back to fair for 3 years in a row!) but I just wanted to be friends and it was all good. Of course, THIS year, I FINALLY realize I actually like him too...and he randomly seems to decide (in the span of about 6 hours) that he wants nothing to do with me. Well, that's what it seems like anyway. idk, it's weird and I'm paranoid and I keep getting mad for no reason etc etc. Aka, I've spent all my spare time mulling over this, trying to figure it out, to no avail..._

_Well, now that THAT'S out there! haha. For those wondering, the rest of Fair went well. The kids all did good in their shows and I was super proud of them all! Now Fair's over and it's back to the real world :( If you go to my profile, you can check out my Twitter. I posted some Fair pics on there!_

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

"Marco wants you to phone Base."

That was the first thing Adam said to Meg when he walked into their quarters that morning. Meg simply groaned in response, rolling over in her bed.

"Are you hungover?" Adam asked, sounding shocked. "Meg how much did you drink last night?"

"Too much," she moaned as she pulled her blanket up tighter around her, trying to block out the light.

"I can't believe you," Adam said, slamming his bag down on the floor.

"Please stop yelling," Meg whimpered, burrowing herself deeper into the sheets. "It was stupid I know. I just haven't hung out with people I consider friends in so long and I guess it all just got away from me."

At her announcement of having people she referred to as friends, Adam's facial expression softened.

"What do you want to make it feel better?" he asked as he walked over to lean over her.

"Two aspirin and a black coffee," she said, never taking her head out from under the blanket.

When he returned with them, he found her still curled up in the same position, her eyes tightly shut.

"Here," he said and she reached out blindly to take the pills from him. Popping them in her mouth, she slowly sat up, keeping her eyes closed. When her hands reached out tentatively, he rolled his eyes before carefully placing the coffee cup in her hand.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, finally opening her eyes after a large gulp of coffee.

"It's Sunday, I'm supposed to be back remember?" he said, shaking his head at her. "Come on Meg, pull yourself together."

"I knew you were coming back today," she argued, her voice taking a tone similar to one she used to use when they'd argue as children. "I just thought you'd be arriving sometime after lunch."

"Meg, it _is_ after lunch," he said and she sighed, sliding back down into her covers.

"I'll call Marco in a few," she said before rolling over and ending the conversation.

Later that afternoon, when Meg was feeling much better, she ambled herself along to Battalion HQ, eager to get this phone call over with. She had no idea what Marco wanted her for, and she didn't know if she wanted it to be a mission or not.

On the one hand, it had been over a year since her last mission and she was eager to get back in the field. On the other hand, and she hated to admit it, she was having a lot of fun with the Americans. If she left for a mission now, who knew how long she would be gone and who knew what she would miss.

The men might decide they liked Adam better than her.

Smiling at the orderly when she walked inside to the main office, she informed him she had to make an official phone call.

"Just one moment Miss Myeroff," the orderly said as he walked over and began dialing the number she had told him.

As she waited, she couldn't help but hear a heated discussion going on in the next room. Straining her ears to hear a little better, she scowled as she picked up words such as "Dick," "mess," "Sobel," and "Court Martial."

Just as she was debating strolling over to the doorway so she could hear a little better, the orderly called her name, telling her the phone was ready.

"Thank you," she said as she sat down in the chair he indicated and put the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?" a familiar voice said a few seconds later.

"Sir, Agent Myeroff reporting," she said into the phone, changing her vocal tone to sound more professional. It was something Adam always called her out on and she didn't know why she did it. Whenever she spoke to a higher up, her tone always changed, becoming deeper.

"Megan," Marco's voice crackled into the phone. "Took you longer than I expected. Adam gave you the message as soon as he got back?"

"I had a bit of a slow start this morning sir," she said, feeling slightly embarrassed to admit it. "What did you want?"

Marco chuckled at her eagerness, not understanding that she was really just eager to pass over the conversation of why her morning had been so slow.

"Always on top of your game Meg," he said before clearing his throat. "I need you to report to Westminster. I can't tell you any more over the phone but when you arrive you'll be meeting with Commander Morgan."

"Sir?" Meg asked, shocked by this news. She had heard of Morgan before. He had played a large role in the First World War, as well as a large role in North Africa and Italy this time around. If Morgan was involved in her mission, that meant it was most likely a big deal.

"He'll be telling you more of what you'll be doing when you get there. For now just get your things together and get to Westminster by Tuesday."

"How long should I expect to be gone sir?" Meg asked, hoping it would be a short amount of time.

"I would expect a month at the least. Tell your brother he's to stay in Aldbourne until told otherwise."

"Yes sir," Meg said before cutting the connection.

Thanking the orderly again, she turned and headed out of the building, practically running down the cobble path, thoughts of spying on the conversation about Dick forgotten.

If she was meeting Commander Morgan in a week, she needed a stiff drink. And since the pub was closed at four on a Sunday, there was only one place she knew she could get it.

It didn't take her long to find Dick's quarters. Knocking on the flimsy door, she was glad when he answered rather quickly.

"Meg," he said, his face showing that he was surprised to find her there. Suddenly Meg felt slightly awkward. Clearing her throat, she avoided eye contact.

"This may seem out of the ordinary," she started before pausing as a realization hit her.

If Dick didn't drink, and definitely didn't approve of how much Lew drank, there was a good chance he wouldn't approve of her drinking either.

"Yes?" he asked, prompting her to continue.

"Well," she said, drawing out the word. Then, with a glance in either direction to make sure no one was looking, she pushed him back inside, following behind him. "I'm sorry to barge in on you, and I'm sure you'll find this completely inappropriate, but does Lew still keep his Vat 69 in your foot locker?"

Dick rolled his eyes in an annoyed way.

"Yep, he does," he said before frowning suspiciously. "Why?"

"I would like to drink some of it if you don't mind," she said and he looked at her in an even more confused way. She realized she would need to explain herself. "I was just contacted by my commanding officer and I'm to report to a big job this week. I mean huge. And, well, I'd kind of like a shot of whiskey to make it a little better."

"I suppose we could manage that," Dick said, his facial expression softening. He turned and reached into his foot locker, pulling up the bottle in question and handing it over to Meg. "And I'm sure Nix wouldn't mind."

"Wouldn't mind what?"

Both Meg and Dick turned just as the devil himself walked through the door. Neither of them answered, but one glance at her hand was all he needed.

"What are you doing with my stash?" he asked in an accusatory tone. "Why did you let her into my stash?" he immediately followed, turning his tone on Dick.

Dick threw his hands up in surrender but Meg stepped in.

"I got my orders," she said. Lew seemed to realize what she meant and his face softened.

"Are they big?" he asked and she shrugged.

"I think so. Marco was pretty secretive on the phone but he dropped some big names so it can be assumed it's a big deal."

In response, Lew motioned to the bottle.

"Then by all means, knock yourself out."

Meg nodded her head in thanks before unstopping the bottle and pouring a shot straight into her mouth.

"Jesus, not even a glass?" Lew asked, rolling his eyes as he stepped farther into the room, stopping next to Dick. "Am I going to have to carry you home again?"

At Dick's questioning look to Lew's statement, Meg scowled.

"You promised no one would find that out," she accused, pointing her pointer finger at him while the rest of her hand stayed wrapped around the bottle. She lowered her hand when she realized it was a gesture that made her look unattractively like a drunk. "I have a reputation to uphold as a strong, independent woman who can hold her liquor. You can't go around announcing to the world that I had to be carried home from the pub last night."

If Dick was surprised by her statement he hid it well. Instead he took a step back, a sideline spectator to the argument between his best friend and the girl who was quickly becoming a regular addition to their group.

"Sorry, it just slipped out," Lew said, not sounding sorry at all. "Besides, Dick won't tell anyone, will you Dick?"

Being brought back into the ring against his will, Dick shook his head no and Meg smiled at him before stuffing the stopper back on.

"So when do you leave?" Dick asked as Meg handed him the bottle to put back in his foot locker.

"Tomorrow probably. I have to report by Tuesday so that makes the most sense."

"How long will you be gone?" Lew asked and she frowned, seeing he was genuinely wondering.

"Marco told me to expect at least a month. I'm hoping it's not much longer, the boys were making such fun plans for Christmas and New Years."

"Yeah well don't get your hopes up," Lew said, his sarcastic tone coming back. "If it's up to Sobel they'll be running drills through Christmas Day so you won't be missing much."

"Lieutenant Winters," a voice said, causing all three of them to turn to the doorway. An orderly was standing there, looking from Meg to the two Lieutenants with a curious expression. She blushed when she realized it probably wasn't very proper to be in Dick's quarters with them.

"Yes?" Dick asked, pulling the focus back to him.

"Sir, Captain Sobel requests your presence in his office."

"Alright, I'll be right along," Dick said, nodding to the orderly before turning to Meg. "If I don't see you before you go, have a good trip and stay safe."

Meg knew that most of the men in Easy Company were smart enough to know her job had the potential to be life-threatening. What she liked so much about them was that they were good enough to accept it instead of continuously belittling it.

"I'm sure I'll see you at the mess tonight and tomorrow for dinner and breakfast," she said before saluting him with a teasing smile. He returned both before turning on his heel and leaving her alone with Lew.

"Now don't go getting shot at," Lew said suddenly, causing her to look at him. "At least not until we're over there so we can all watch out for you."

"Lew I think I've seen more action in one mission than you'll ever have to see. I should be the one watching out for all of you."

Lew rolled his eyes at her comment, walking over to Dick's foot locker and pulling the bottle back out, followed by two shot glasses.

"Why didn't you mention you had those in there before?" she asked and he shrugged with a smirk.

"You didn't ask," he told her, quickly pouring them both a shot. Handing her one, he raised his in the air. "To not getting killed."

"Really?" Meg asked with a scoff but his frown told her to just drink the shot.

When they had finished, they turned silent as Lew put the bottle away again.

"Will you write to me?" Meg asked suddenly, surprising herself with the question. Lew stood up and turned around, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, I'm probably going to be pretty lonely over there and I'd like to stay up on the gossip," she explained, backpedalling lightly. "How else am I supposed to feel like I've stayed in the loop with the lads while I'm gone?" She had no idea why she'd asked him that, and if she were being honest it was a completely inappropriate request to make of a married man. Still, she did need someone to write to at Aldbourne besides her brother. Adam would never know exactly what she wanted to hear about all the men. She told herself that this reasoning was completely innocent and was the only reason why she'd asked Lew to write to her.

"True point," Lew said, turning to sit in Dick's chair. "Where are you going?" he asked before quickly making a face. "Or am I not allowed to know that?"

"Westminster," Meg replied with a laugh. "The mission's top secret, the location is not."

"Westminster," Lew repeated, thinking. "That's not far away is it?"

"Under two hours," Meg replied and he nodded.

"Just inside London. Not too far to visit on a 48-hour pass."

"Don't you dare think of visiting me," Meg scolding with a chuckle. "Who knows what I'll be doing and you need to be thinking about fighting Germans, not catching up with me in London." Not to mention what people would think if they heard he had visited her. She frowned to herself as a thought crossed her mind. She and Lew were just friends, just like she was friends with Harry. So how come she was comfortable with the idea of a visit from Harry, who was happily devoted to his girl back home, but thinking of Lew visiting made her feel terribly guilty?

"A night on the town, maybe a little theater, a walk through St. James's Park," Lew continued, ignoring her reprimand and seeming oblivious to her internal frustrations. "Sounds like fun right?"

"With you? Not at all," she said as she stood up, brushing her thoughts off and throwing him a smirk. "I should probably go back. I'll most likely need to take practically everything with me."

Lew stood too, walking forward to pull her into a tight hug. It caught her by surprise and took her a moment to react, but when she wrapped her arms around his torso, she smiled at how nice it felt. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach that informed her that this was not a simple, friend hug, enjoying the moment in his arms.

"You stay safe," he said into her ear, squeezing her tightly. "I don't want to hear from your brother that you've done something reckless."

They pulled apart and she looked up at him.

"It's London, what could I possible do that would be considered reckless?"

"I don't doubt your ability to stir up trouble," he teased and she threw him a frown before turning and heading out the door. "And no flirting with the boys of the British Navy while you're over there," he called after. "I don't want to have to explain to the men of Easy that you chose Limeys over them."

Meg scoffed at his comment as she shut the door behind her and headed off back to her place, trying to quell the hope in her chest that he would be the one annoyed if she chose a Brit over him.

"Well? What did Marco want?" Adam asked as soon as she walked through the door.

"I'm to report to Westminster," she said as she walked over to sit beside him on his bed. "He didn't say what for but I'm to be reporting to Commander Morgan!"

Adam's eyes told her he was as impressed as she had been. Morgan was somewhat of a celebrity among the military personnel and reporting to him for a mission was a big deal indeed.

"What do you think I'll be doing?" she asked as she stood up to begin packing her clothes, folding all her skirts neatly.

"I have no idea, but you'll have to keep me informed."

"You too," she said, turning to look at him. "I want to know everything that's going on here while I'm gone."

"Why?" Adam asked and she stopped packing, completely turning her body to face him.

"Do you seriously have to ask that question?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "You've seen me over this past week. I can't explain it, so don't expect me to, but I've grown close to these men. And you know for me that's saying a lot."

Adam nodded, turning back to his game of solitaire he had spread out on his bed.

"I've noticed," he said nonchalantly and Meg had a suspicious feeling that he knew exactly why she wanted to know everything; he just wanted her to admit it.

"I'm supposed to report to Westminster by Tuesday so I suppose I'll leave tomorrow afternoon," she said, switching the conversation and refusing to give him any satisfaction. "I want to get settled in before I have to appear before the Commander."

"Alright," Adam said, not looking up again. "I'll write you every day as long as you do the same. You still have the code?"

"Of course I still have the code," she said, acting as if that was a ridiculous question for him to ask. "Besides, we used it to write so many letters in the past 10 years that even if I wanted to forget it I couldn't."

"Well good," Adam replied, as he slid all the cards together and began shuffling the pile, "because I want to know everything. This could very well be your first mission since the incident and I want to keep an eye on you as best I can."

"Alright big brother," Meg said in a mocking tone before turning to collapse on her bed. "I hate packing."

Monday's breakfast found her breaking the news to the men of Easy. For only knowing them a little over a week, saying her goodbyes was hard. They had each taken a turn at pulling her into a tight hug, some adding a little extra to their farewell. Muck had kissed her dramatically on the cheek. Bill had attempted to plant one on her mouth before she caught on and turned her head at the last second. Malarkey had squeezed her extra tightly, whispering into her ear to be safe.

However it was George Luz that had the most effect to her. As he had hugged her, his lips had found her ear, leaning in close to whisper to her.

"Don't do anything stupid," he said, holding her in place when she tried to pull back to yell at him. "You're our favorite girl and we won't forgive you if you kill all the Germans before we get over there." Then he had pulled back slightly to look her in the eyes. "We love ya kid."

The sentiment may have been a little too strong for the time frame of their friendship but she knew exactly what he meant. She had grown a soft spot in her heart for these boys too. And just like with George's warning, she'd be torn if any of them went and got themselves killed.

"I'll be alright," she promised, ruffling his hair and earning a chuckle in return. "And I promise I'll write what I can," she said before detaching herself from his arms.

Her goodbyes finished with the boys, she turned and headed in the direction of the officers' table, eager to get the rest of her goodbyes over with.

"The lady of the hour," Harry announced as he stood up, pulling her in roughly. "Stay tough kid. Give 'em hell for us," he told her, his voice muffled slightly by the fact that he was holding her so tightly his mouth was shoved against her hair.

"I'll try my best," she said before turning to Dick. "Good luck Dick," she said, the reason for her statement hanging unspoken in the air. She knew the next few weeks would be hard on him where Sobel was concerned.

"You too Meg," he said, surprising her by pulling her into a hug as well. He had always seemed such a serious person that the small show of affection caught her off guard. Nevertheless, she returned the hug, patting him lightly on the back before turning to the last member of their foursome.

"Lew," she said, suddenly feeling shy. She silently cursed her ease with blushing when she felt her cheeks heat up. She had hoped it would go unnoticed but when Dick awkwardly cleared his throat she knew it hadn't.

"Meg," Lew answered, finally breaking the tension by spreading his arms to envelope her in a hug. "Try not to catch too many Limey eyes will ya?" he asked and she sighed, realizing the odds of Lewis Nixon giving a serious goodbye were slim.

"No promises," she said with a twinkle in her eye before she paled. They were flirting!

Taking a page out of Dick's book and clearing her throat embarrassedly, she turned to the three, giving a smile and a salute before turning on her heel and heading to join Adam at the door.

"Finished packing?" he asked as he held it open for her to walk out, falling in step next to her.

"Of course I'm not," she replied, throwing him a smile. "Have I ever been able to head off on a mission that easily?"

"No I suppose not," Adam said with a chuckle, picking up his pace to match her quicker gate.

She had a long day ahead of her.

* * *

_Review response time! I get so excited when my phone goes off that I have an email and it's from FanFiction! Then I felt embarassed when one of the 4-H kids was like "Ooooo who are you texting that's making you smile so big?" and I was all "...I'm reading emails" and cue embarassing moment._

_Anyway, here they are!_

_paintmyworlddarkblue - What a good guesser you are! Glad you guessed it! Thanks for reviewing!_

_Tegan Ganmore - Unfortunately we won't be seeing your happy dance this week: this is a much shorter chapter :( Also I'm glad that scene made you laugh. I was so excited to write it. At the time I was like "Carrying a chick home in your arms is so lame. What can he do instead?" haha. And I like your thoughts on Meg and Christian. That's what my roommate/editor thought too. You'll just have to wait and see... :)_

_LovingBOBThePacific - Interesting question. Who exactly did you have in mind? I kind of created brotherly relationships between her and all the other guys in Easy but if you have any preferences/suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Sorry my review didn't come right after Monday night! As my note at the beginning of this chapter mentioned, this week's been kinda crazy haha._

_IceColdInAlex - I'm SOOO glad you love Meg! That makes me **so** happy! I'm also glad you're enjoying the banter etc. It's good to hear stuff like this, so thank you!_


	9. Some Correspondence

_Well here it is! I must ask, is it sad when the highlight of my week is Thursday night, aka when I publish my next chapter? My life's taken a turn as of late and publishing my chapter and then seeing all the views and reviews I get in the days following seems to be the only thing to cheer me up these days. Not that I'm pressuring you all to review, I'm just making sure all of you who **do** review know exactly how much it means to me._

_And for anyone wondering, no there's really been no more development with the previously mentioned crush. We haven't talked since last Thursday night (AFTER I published so I guess that actually was a good development hahaha). He randomly texted me a picture of a newborn calf from his farm yesterday afternoon. I know, right? Of course, when I replied back that I wanted one, he never replied so there you go._

_I must say I forgot to mention this last Thursday (I have NO idea why I forgot!) but Scott Grimes (Don Malarkey for any fans who don't know actor's names haha) Tweeted me last week! Confession: THAT was the highlight of my week haha. Anyway, I tweeted him asking "what's it like being the hottest ginger on television and in the movies?" to which he responded "I don't know I'm not Ron Howard" Hahaha I found that ridiculously amusing and exciting and every other positive emotion one could feel from that situation._

_Anyway, it's probably time we got on with the chapter. Read on!_

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Ten minutes into meeting Commander Morgan, Meg felt the man was slightly intimidating. He had just returned from a meeting with President Eisenhower and she knew he felt her presence was of much less importance. Even after his assistant had read off the list of her achievements, portraying her as some sort of god-like spy, he still seemed to find the whole ordeal a bit boring.

Immediately after the introductions, Morgan had a private show Meg to her room in the South Rotunda. A room in which she stayed for three days, only leaving at meal times or to wander aimlessly around London.

* * *

_Dear Adam,_

_ I'm only writing because I promised I would; other than that I have nothing to write about. Upon my arrival two days ago I was introduced to Commander Morgan (a very intimidating man). He seemed preoccupied (and unimpressed by all my accomplishments) and had me shown to my room. Adam I have not left this room since then, other than to get food! I have yet to meet anyone else other than Morgan and the private who showed me to my room (and I don't even remember his name!) From what the private insinuated, there are a large number of people involved in whatever I shall be doing but either they're all locked away as well or I keep missing them when I step out of my room for some fresh air._

_ If I'd known this was how it was going to be, I would have packed more books or a deck of cards to keep me occupied. I'm almost finished with Gone With the Wind (for the 6th time) and I don't know if I can start it over so quickly after finishing. I've tried taking a few walks around London to re-acquaintance myself with the city but the chilly November weather has me slightly turned off to the idea of walking around. I'm going insane, so please send me a long letter in reply so I have something else to read._

_ I did manage to find a nice cafe on my first day here so I sometimes find myself wandering there for tea time, but even then I get a table to myself and usually spend it reading over some form of literature or other. Yesterday I read through a pamphlet on current theatrical productions in the West End. Someone left it at my table but I'm glad they did, it's given me a few ideas of shows I can see if I have more evenings off._

_ How is everyone in Aldbourne doing? Are the Easy men staying relatively out of trouble? Please give me good news about my boys. I hope they are staying out of trouble and if they aren't, please order them to behave, for my sake._

_ What's the news on Lieutenant Winters' Court Martial? I'm not sure if you heard about the entire ordeal since you were gone for the beginning of it but Captain Sobel (that horrid man who tried to accuse us of driving jeeps whenever we felt like it) is now accusing others. He claims that Dick disobeyed orders and did not inspect the latrines when he was supposed to. However, apparently he changed the time of Dick's inspection and never informed him! First I would like to point out that inspecting latrines is something a private or punished man should be doing, not a lieutenant. Second, I can't believe the American military would actually allow Sobel to attempt to court martial Dick. I hope it all works out well, so please keep me informed. I feel out of the loop already and it's only been three days!_

_ Much love,_

_ Your sister_

* * *

Four days after her arrival, Meg was finally summoned to the large meeting room. There, she was bombarded with the lovely task of being introduced to roughly 200 people of importance. It didn't take her long to realize she was there for a meeting which was to be held by Morgan and she wished someone had informed her of this so she could have dressed up a bit nicer. As it was, her green skirt and black blouse would just have to do.

"Gentlemen," Commander Morgan said after everyone had been seated. Meg huffed in silence that he seemed to have forgotten she was there. "We're here to continue the discussion on Operation Rankin. As you all know, I've just returned from meeting with President Eisenhower. While he was impressed with the plans for Operation Overlord, he was not willing to spare Anthony Biddle. He also made it clear that he doubts the odds of Marshall becoming Supreme Allied Commander."

A chorus of groans floated throughout the room and Meg scowled to herself. She wished she knew what they were talking about. It seemed she was the only one in the room who was out of the loop. Glancing on both sides of her, she decided that the two men seated next to her did not seem the type who would be willing to talk during a meeting. It looked like she was just going to have to wait and ask someone when the meeting was over.

"I know, I was disappointed as well," Morgan continued over the noise, silencing everyone with his voice. "But with those two factors in mind, we will need to alter the plans a bit. At some point over the next few months we will be doing just that, but for now we need to work on Rankin."

As the meeting progressed, Meg quickly realized on her own just what she was sitting in on. Operation Rankin was a plan created by the men around her on what to do in the case of a sudden German collapse.

Marco had brought her in on the ground floor of planning the Allied invasion!

* * *

_Meg,_

_ I hope London's treating you well. If the weather there has been anything like here at Aldbourne however, I'm sure it's not as enjoyable as it could be. Any word when I can come visit? I have a 48-hour pass coming up next weekend and I feel it'll go to waste otherwise. That is of course unless Sobel decides to revoke it. Don't be surprised, it's something he's known for around here. Maybe if you invite him, I can even drag Harry along. Lord knows he could use some fresh London air to get his mind off of Kitty; the man won't shut up about her. If I ever have the pleasure of meeting her when this war is over, she might be embarrassed with how much I already know about her. I hope right now you're laughing because you know exactly what I'm talking about. You've been around Harry less and I'm sure even you could toss out some Kitty Grogan facts that would shock the lady. _

_ Hell, if this whole mess with Sobel's cleared up by then, maybe we can convince Dick to come along too. If anyone in our group deserves a weekend getaway from Aldbourne, it's him._

_ And before you ask, no there's been no major movement on Dick's court-martial. Yesterday he appealed his punishment and today he received a lovely note from Sobel declining. I know that statement probably confuses the hell out of you, especially since you seem to find the American way of doing things foolish. Let's just say I think this whole incident may turn ugly very quickly. I don't fancy trading places with Dick._

_ As far as the other men go, they're all fine. Continuing training as usual. George Luz keeps asking me if I've heard from you. Before you ask why, let me inform you that apparently someone witnessed me carrying you home from the bar that Saturday night. Don't shoot the messenger; it's just what I heard. I guess I may have been wrong when I told you that all the men would be at the pub later than us._

_ You're brother seems to be doing well. I don't know for sure, since he's still giving me the cold shoulder, but he's making friends. Not as well as you did of course, but then again he's not the only woman these men get to interact with on a daily basis so that's not surprising. He has been hanging out with your usual crowd: Luz, Muck, Malarkey, etc. If he ends up taking your place of honor in that group, Harry and I agree you're more than welcome to become a regular fixture to our threesome with Dick._

_ I wish I had more to tell you about Easy; I know you were eager to stay up on the gossip here but honestly Meg, there's been nothing._

_ Let me know about next weekend,_

_ Lew_

Meg scoffed to herself as she read the letter. It was a Saturday afternoon and she was heading back to her room after a morning meeting with a few of the officers she was working with. Her scoff was mostly because of the butterflies that hadn't stopped flittering about in her stomach since she saw the name on the return address.

She had had school girl crushes before, but not recently, and never on a married man. If she didn't watch herself, it was only going to end in heartbreak and then she'd be sorry.

Heartbreak. Was it really that serious of a crush?

"Ma'am," a voice called just as she was about to climb the stairs, pulling her from her silent musings. Stopping and lowering the letter, she turned to find a gentleman in British uniform standing below her.

He had dusty blonde hair that swept across his forehead, flattened down by his army cap. He looked to be about 30 and she was quick to note the chevrons on his shoulder.

"Captain," she said in greeting as she descended the steps and offered him her hand. He shook it with a smile.

"I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. Captain Roger Norris, British First Army."

"Agent Megan Myeroff," she said but he smirked.

"I already knew that. I don't think there's an officer here who doesn't know who you are."

"Yes, well I hadn't been formally introduced to anyone so I wasn't sure. Besides, you seem much more open to the idea of a woman being included in the group than most of the others," she said. Over the past couple days she had come to the realization that the men here would not be as accepting of her as the men of Easy. Scrutinizing side glances and annoyed facial expressions were all she had received in way of greeting whenever she arrived at a meeting.

"They're just old fashioned," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Where were you off to?"

"Up to my room," she said before holding up Lew's letter. "I've gotten some correspondence over the last couple days that I've neglected. Don't want anyone thinking I've gotten myself killed."

He smirked at her comment and she could tell that he thought she was joking. Despite the fact that he was willing to accept her on equal terms in the meetings, he didn't believe she'd ever be in a position where her life could be in danger. How foolish of him.

"Well if you're free tonight, I'd love to get a drink and hear about the IIA. It's not often one gets to talk to an agent from there."

"You know about the IIA?" she asked, suspicion setting in. Sure the agency wasn't a secret, but not many people knew more about it other than the fact that it was an intelligence agency that provided support in times of need.

"Well when we heard they were bringing in an agent from there, a couple of us did our research."

At this statement, Meg felt the wheels in her head begin to turn frantically. What could they have possibly found in their research? Did they know to expect her specifically before she arrived? Had they learned of other names as well? This was something she absolutely had to find out.

"I'd love to get a drink tonight," she said, putting on a false smile. "Say, seven o'clock?"

Their plans set, Meg bid him goodbye and hurried up the steps as fast as was ladylike. She had a very pressing letter she had to write.

_Adam,_

_ I hope you had your key nearby when you opened this letter (Although by now we should both know that any letter sent between us will be coded). As you can guess by the fact that I'm using our code, I have something important to tell you. Two things actually._

_ First, I've been sent here to work directly with a group of military officers led by Morgan. We're working on plans that will play a pivotal role in the expected Allied invasion. We've been discussing one plan at length but there's another plan that looms over our heads constantly, and I seem to be the only one here who doesn't already know what it is because I haven't had that explained to me yet. I'll let you know about it as soon as I see you in person next, assuming I've been informed of it by then of course._

_ Second, I was heading back to my room just now after receiving my mail and I was approached by an officer of the British First Army. His name was Captain Roger Norris and he told me he wanted to get drinks because it's not every day that one gets to talk to an agent of the IIA. Adam, I have no idea how he knows about the Agency but I agreed to drinks so I could find out what he knows. It could turn out that he knows nothing more than the average Brit, but there's always the chance that he's stumbled upon something crucial, whether he means harm by it or not. There's no point in warning against it because by the time you get this letter our meeting will have already taken place. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything. Let us hope it proves to be simple curiosity in our agency and nothing more._

_ On a lighter note, I wish you would respond to my letters quickly. You promised to write everyday but it's been a few days since my first letter and I have yet to hear from you. And don't you dare blame it on the post; I've received correspondence from others at Aldbourne already (and don't ask who for I won't tell you)._

_ In said letter I was informed that you seem to be taking my place among the men of Easy Company. Careful now brother, don't tell me we'll have to have a fight to the death to see who gets the title of favorite Myeroff in the group. The writer of the letter also mentioned that you're being rather cold toward Lieutenant Nixon. Adam, please don't be childish. The lieutenant has done nothing but tease me a little; for the most part he's been friendly toward me and that's surely not a reason to treat him like dirt. Be nice, for my sake._

_ Love,_

_ Meg_

Finishing her most important letter, Meg leaned back to reread it. It may have been a little on the short side, but then again she had already written him once this week and not much had happened since then that she could write about. Besides, it's not like he had replied to her first letter and given her any topics of conversation to expand upon. Deciding it was complete, she set it aside before rereading the letter from Lew, trying to decide what to write in reply.

She scrawled out the name Lew before wrinkling her nose. If she was going to open the letter by scolding him, it felt more proper to use his full name, not his nickname. Scratching the name out, she scrunched the paper up in a ball and started over again.

_Lewis,_

_ First, I must inform you that I'm furious with you. You promised me no one would find out about my walk home last Saturday. Now I'm assuming the entire regiment knows! I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you again, after you've given me that information. How will I be able to face the boys now? I fear whenever they seem me, all they'll be able to think of is the fact that I can't seem to hold my liquor and have to be carried home._

_ Also, I thought I told you that you weren't allowed to visit me in London? Please be smart, although if you and Harry really do need a getaway, I may run into you boys for an hour or so between meetings while you're here. However, I don't know how long I'll be able to stay in your company if Harry does choose to talk about Kitty as much as you make it sound like he has been of late. That must get old. It's a shame Dick won't be able to come with you. I hope things change and he can._

_ They're keeping me somewhat busy here. I wish I could tell you what I'm doing because I think it may play a large role in the war. However, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, and maybe by then I'll be able to tell you exactly what I took part in. For now I'll simply tell you that no one in Easy Company has to fear me choosing British Naval officers over them. None of the men here seem to think I'm capable of doing my job. At least everyone at Aldbourne knew I was good at what I did, despite being a woman._

_ Please tell the boys I miss them all and any letters sent my way would be much appreciated. I've only brought one book with me and I'm almost finished with it so any extra reading material will be welcomed with open arms. There's only so many times a girl can walk around St. James's Park before it gets boring so the idea of reading and writing letters to all my favorite men is actually appealing, expected hand cramp and all._

_ As far as Dick is concerned, tell him I'm thinking of him. I have a few choice words I would say to a certain Captain if I saw him, but it's probably better if I don't write them down here. I don't want to get anyone in trouble. While you're right and I don't agree with the American way of things, I'm sure this whole debacle will get sorted out quickly and everything will be back to normal in no time. It just must be hard on Dick until it does._

_ Alright I know I've told you twice not to visit me, but perhaps I could use a friendly face around here. I haven't even been in Westminster a week but already I feel alone and out of place. In fact, I don't fully understand why it was requested that I attend these meetings; none of the men let me have a voice anyway. I know I said I may play a large role in this war, but honestly I want to do something on my own, not as a large group._

_ Write me if you do plan on visiting London. I hope to hear from you soon._

_ Meg_

As she signed the letter with a flourish, she had a sudden, unexpected urge to put the word love above her name. Setting her pen down, she sighed and put her head in her hands. It seemed as if she could no longer deny the effect Lewis Nixon seemed to have on her.

She knew he was a married man. She knew it was wrong. Yet there was this small part of her that enjoyed the attention. She had never received that kind of attention before. Even the boys like George, with all their teasing, flirtatious remarks hadn't had the same effect on her that Lew had. Maybe it was because she knew they were joking about it but what was going on between her and Lew felt 100 percent serious.

It scared the hell out of her. What would people think if they found out? Fawning over a married man was the mother of all sins for a woman. And what if he returned it? What would people say if something actually started between them? She would essentially be his mistress, and she knew no self-respecting woman would ever agree to that set up.

But still, she yearned to be around him. She knew it was just an infatuation but she wanted more of him. She wanted to be the butt of his jokes, she wanted to be the subject of his conversations. It was unhealthy to get this smitten so soon.

She only hoped this time away from him would weaken it.

And yet here she was, practically begging him to come visit her in her letter. She stared at it for a second, debating rewriting it. Finally she shook her head, folding it up and placing it in an envelope.

He had seemed adamant on dragging Harry to London to visit her so who was she to deny them that? Besides if Harry was involved, it was sure to strictly be a visit among friends, nothing more.

She wouldn't let it evolve into anything more.

* * *

At seven o'clock sharp, Meg met Captain Norris at the bottom of the stairs and the two headed to a local lounge for a drink. She had spent a good part of the afternoon debating what to wear. She didn't want to dress up too much and make him feel awkward discussing business things with a woman but at the same time she didn't want to go underdressed and not be able to use her seduction skills to pull the information out of him. Picking out her outfit was a careful process.

As she began to put her hair up in curlers, she thought back to the way the boys had reacted when they saw her in her navy wrap-around dress. It had certainly impressed them as much as she wanted to impress the captain tonight. Pausing in her curling, she walked over and pulled the dress out of her closet, eyeing it with a nod. It was perfect.

"So Captain," Meg said after he'd started his second drink. They had settled into a small table in the middle of the lounge. Meg chose the location, hoping it would be too busy for people to pick up anything they were saying. He had finished his first drink quickly, hopping up from the table to get another one before they were able to really start any conversation. While she would usually be annoying by the fact that he didn't seem to be paying close attention to the level of her drink, this time she didn't mind.

She needed to stay sober tonight.

"Yes?" he asked, leaning in to hear her better over the music playing from the live swing band over in the corner.

"What did you hear about me?" she asked, trying to make her face as coy as possible. She knew it was dirty to use her skills on someone on her side but she wanted to know what was out there about her. If the British could find out information, so could the Germans.

"Not a lot," Roger said with a chuckle, "and certainly nothing about you personally." At this statement she relaxed, instantly feeling ten times better. "When the Commander mentioned that an agent would be coming in to work on the plans, someone asked from where. Obviously we were expecting him to say British intelligence or someone from the American government. When he said IIA, we were shocked. We thought perhaps he was joking," he added with another small laugh.

"Why were you shocked?" she asked with genuine interest. The IIA was known in Europe for sending agents to the aid of countries in need, especially if the country in question was an ally of the UK.

"We figured it was under your pay grade," he answered truthfully. "You lot are out there doing heroic, action-packed rescues and missions. Why the hell would they send an IIA agent to plan something?"

"Maybe because they know we know what we're doing?" she offered, instantly hoping she hadn't offended him. She had basically just insinuated that all the men at the meeting didn't know what they were doing. She was relieved when he laughed at her answer.

"Fair enough," he replied, taking a long drink as the conversation died.

"So then what exactly did you find when you did your research?" she finally prodded. She hoped he was a little under the influence and wouldn't find her questions too pushy. Otherwise he would shut down and she'd never find the information out. She suddenly wished she had waited until he'd had a couple more drinks.

"Well Sergeant Wellington mentioned that he'd worked with a member of the IIA before so most of our information came from him."

Meg's ears perked up.

"Thomas Wellington?" she asked and he nodded, raising an eyebrow.

"You know him?" At her nod of confirmation, he laughed. "Don't tell me you were the IIA agent he worked with."

"No, but I know who was," she said, suddenly wishing she hadn't already sent Adam's letter. She was sure he'd find it ironic that his one-time substitute partner would now be working with Meg, his usual partner. "You'll have to introduce me to Sergeant Wellington at the next meeting on Monday."

"That'll be a little hard," Roger informed her as he finished his drink. "He's been away since the day before you arrived and I don't know when we're expecting him back. I'll definitely introduce you though."

"Thank you," Meg said, finally relaxing into her seat.

She could definitely use her second drink now.

* * *

_Meg,_

_ Harry and I are catching a cab to London Saturday morning. While our pass officially starts Friday after dinner, we both have weekly paperwork we need to have turned into the Colonel before we can leave. Sorry if you thought you'd have the full 48 hours with us. It looks more like half that instead. We'll still enjoy ourselves though. Harry's excited to see you, as am I. It's only been a couple weeks, but it's such a change without you here, causing all kinds of trouble for everyone. _

_ I haven't mentioned anything about our visit to any of the boys. I didn't think you'd care to be bombarded. Of course that also means I haven't said anything to Adam, mostly because I'm afraid he'll tear my head off, but also because he's your brother so you should be the one to tell him people are visiting._

_ I don't know where you're staying, but why don't we meet in St. James's Park at noon? We can grab a bite to eat before spending the afternoon seeing the sights. If you send a letter in reply to this, I most likely won't get it before we leave for London so it looks like you're stuck meeting us. You can't stand up a couple of swell American paratroopers now can you?_

_ Keep your plans open for Saturday night, Harry and I are trying to come up with something entertaining to do and you know us, once we think of something it's sure to be something great. Maybe we can spend the day checking out the sights and deciding on something to do in the evening. Basically, we're expecting you to spend the whole weekend with us. I hope you didn't have other plans._

_ Still nothing major on Dick. I of course will let you know as soon as I hear anything._

_ I can't wait to hear about the adventure you've been having. I'm sure it's much more exciting than what you would be doing here, with the exception of spending time with me of course._

_ We all miss you here. This past weekend was our first weekend without you since meeting you and I know all of us felt a little more down because of it. The boys were their usual selves at the pub but I noticed they all glanced at the door every time it opened. The only person they could have all been expecting was you, so I guess they thought you'd surprise us._

_ See you in a few days,_

_ Lew_

* * *

So since I ended the chapter in italics, I felt the need to do this first line in regular font so it doesn't get confusing.

_Anywho..._

_I got SIX reviews last chapter. **SIX**. And ok, so maybe two of them were from the same person *cough* IceColdInAlex *cough* but that's still the most I think I've gotten on a chapter for this story (If I'm mistaken don't bite my head off lol)_

_paintmyworlddarkblue - first: every week when I type your name, I'm always terrified I've spelled it wrong so I recheck it like, 3 times. If I ever do spell it wrong, know that' I'm terribly sorry a thousand times over. I'm glad you love George and Dick. George is one of my favorites and since he isn't a love interest, I wanted him to play a large role. As for Dick...well my roommate/editor is adament that he should be her love interest so I never hear the end of it haha. Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter!_

_IceColdInAlex - Your intuition is very good when it comes to her mission...haha. As for Meg feeling guilty, it's sad but it needs to be there. My first draft had her feeling no guilt whatsoever and my roommate/editor was like "WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING!? WHY ARE THEY NOT FEELING GUILTY ABOUT THIS!? HE'S MARRIED FOR GOODNESS SAKE!" and a bunch of other statements that were in all caps and covered the margins of my draft haha. Thanks for reviewing!_

_LovingBOBThePacific - Totally got your hints hahahaha. I don't think I really have him as a pivotol character but I'll go through my draft and try to add him a little more in future chapters, just for you :) I do agree that he has a nice voice haha. It used to bother me, but I totally grew on it and now it gives me chills lol. Thanks for your review! I'm working on reading your one story (slowly but surely!) and as soon as I'm done I'll start on the other one! YAY!_

_LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX - Thanks for your review! This mission will most likely not harm her but I can't guarantee other things won't! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you review again! :)_

_Lift the Wings - Thanks so much for being a new reviewer! And I agree, I LOVE Nix too! (and he is quite yummy, isn't he?)_


	10. The Alcohol's Got Me

_So today the most awful thing happened: my router at home broke! And the worst part? The woman on the phone said we won't be able to get a new router until Monday or Tuesday! How the hell am I supposed to survive the weekend without internet!? Thank God I have an iphone but seriously people, I may shrivel up and die before Monday comes along._

_I'm currently at the public library, sitting in a study room and posting this online. I feel like I'm back in college haha._

_Quick sidenote, since I haven't said this for the last couple chapters or so, I do not own Band of Brothers. Also, this story reflects my own interpretations of the characters of the tv show. It in no way reflects the real men, of whom I have the utmost respect._

_Anyway, here it is! I hope you enjoy it lots! This week has been absolutely INSANE for me, running back and forth and having appointments and meetings pop up last minute so be proud of me for getting this up. Thank goodness it's almost the weekend!_

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"I can't believe I'm in this dilemma again," Meg said to herself as she collapsed backwards on her bed.

It was almost ten o'clock in the morning of the 13th and she had two hours until she had to head to St. James's Park to meet Lew and Harry.

The dilemma she was referring to was the two dresses laid out on the bed beside her. While neither of them were nearly as dressy as the two she had been debating two weeks prior, the situation was still of just as much importance.

She felt drained. The past week had taken a toll on her both mentally and physically. Planning military operations was much harder than she had first thought; certainly much harder than planning undercover missions. She knew she had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep but that was to be expected. They had been pulling 15-hour days in the hopes of finishing the plans for Operation Rankin. The men had all broken into groups, constantly arguing and siding against each other. Meg knew exactly what she would say if they were Easy men. She'd tell them to stop acting childish and work together to figure out what would work best for everyone involved.

But these weren't Easy men. These were British military officers who thought she didn't belong there. They would not take kindly to her telling them what to do. So she sat there quietly and listened to them argue back and forth, feeling as if the problems would never be solved.

Because she was so exhausted and stressed, she wanted to look her best. She didn't want Harry or Lew returning to Aldbourne and telling everyone that their favorite girl, Megan Myeroff was falling apart. She could handle the stress and she didn't want anyone thinking she couldn't. Especially not Adam. If Adam caught wind that she was having trouble with everything even just a little, he'd intervene. One word from Adam and Marco would be calling her back to Level 3 for more examinations and that was not something she wanted to do ever again.

Finally deciding on the simple peach dress, she spent the next hour getting ready. Most of that time was spent with her makeup, trying to make the bags under her eyes less obvious with concealer and powder. When that was finished, all it took was a little blush, a little mascara, and a dab of eye shadow over her eyes and she looked normal. Well, she actually looked more dolled up than normal, but hopefully they wouldn't notice it as a mask to cover her real, weary face.

At 11:30 she declared herself ready and slipped on her heavy wool coat, grabbing her purse and heading out the door.

"Miss Myeroff!" a voice called as she walked down the hallway. Turning, she had to resist the temptation to roll her eyes as Captain Norris quickly approached her.

Since they had gone out for drinks, the Captain had gone out of his way to continue talking to the young agent, causing her to start getting frustrated. She put up with him in the meetings in the hopes that maybe some of the other men would catch on that it was alright to talk to her, but whenever she ran into him outside of the meetings she tried to end their interaction as quickly as possible.

"Are you heading out?" he asked, nodding to her coat. She bit back a sharp retort that the answer to his question should be obvious.

"Yes, a few friends are in town for the weekend and I'm going to visit with them," she said and she was surprised to see he looked put out.

"I see," he said slowly, rocking back on the balls of his feet. "Well I just wanted to let you know Sergeant Wellington is back and I was going to suggest we all go out for drinks. Another time perhaps," he said, locking eyes with her and smiling in an annoyingly cheerful way.

Meg nodded.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Another time. I must go though," she said quickly, apologizing again before turning and heading down the stairs.

She spotted Lew and Harry immediately upon arriving at the entrance to the park. She was only a few minutes late but she knew they'd both already be there and sure enough, she was right. The two of them were standing under a tree, both smoking cigarettes and looking warm in their military-issued winter coats.

"Hello," she called out as she approached, causing them both to turn. In one fluid movement they dropped their cigarettes on the ground before walking toward her. She was surprised when they each pulled her into a tight hug. She reveled in the feel of being embraced, trying to ignore the chills that ran through her skin when she wrapped her arms around Lew. Only two minutes in his presence and already she was turning into jello.

"Well don't you look just perfectly chipper," Lew said after their hellos were finished. "And here we were worried you were going to be thin and sickly without us to keep you in line."

Meg shook her head with a chuckle, glad her cover up had been successful.

"I could be saying the same about the two of you. Isn't it my job to keep _you_ in line?" she asked, quick to note that they both looked fit and healthy. For all the complaining the men did about the food, they definitely kept the boys well taken care of.

"Enough with the clever chit chat," Harry said suddenly, winking at her to show he was just jesting. "What do you say we find a nice indoor place to sit and grab some food? I'm freezing."

Both men offered their arms and Meg took both with a wide grin, walking between the two of them as they headed out of the park.

As they walked, the boys began to fill her in on everything Aldbourne. It turned out Lew's letters had been right, she hadn't missed much. They were all just training and training, day in and day out. When Meg pointed out a bookstore she had spent some time in, Harry brought up that it reminded him of something Kitty mentioned in a recent letter.

"Now you've done it," Lew said in a quiet tone, making sure it was loud enough for Harry to hear. The shorter lieutenant ignored it as he started to tell Meg all about how Kitty was doing. She put up with it, pleased to see Harry was so passionate about the girl. She had told him this enough, but Kitty really was a very lucky woman.

They found a quiet little cafe two blocks over and after ordering they settled into their seats.

"So," Meg started, gaining the attention of both men. "How's Dick?"

A look passed between the two men, making Meg anxious. She didn't like that look. Finally Lew spoke.

"Well right before we left to come here, Dick got word from Strayer that he was being made Battalion Mess Officer."

"What?" Meg asked, shocked. "So he's not still with Easy?"

"Nope," Harry said with a shake of his head before reaching for his coffee. "Christ, I'd forgotten what real coffee tasted like," he sidetracked with a chuckle before going back to the topic at hand. "No, and it's a disgrace if you ask me."

"If Sobel's still there when I get back you can bet I'll be using some of those choice words I mentioned," Meg said but Lew shook his head.

"Don't you go getting involved. This'll all get sorted out eventually, so it's best to just let it unfold."

"How can you say that? This is your best friend that's on the line!" Meg practically cried but Lew's frown caused her to close her mouth.

"Yeah, my best friend who I'm sticking my neck out for right now," he said, sounding annoyed and making Meg instantly feel guilty at her accusation. "I'm trying everything I can, but Dick's adamant that I don't get taken down with him if that's what ends up happening."

They grew silent for a moment before Lew's anger dissipated and he put a smile on his face.

"So how's London? Boring without us Easy men?"

"Is it ever," Meg said in an over-exaggerated tone, causing both men to smile, obviously pleased they had such an effect on her. "No one here will give me the time of day. I think they should have chosen Adam to do this one over me. At least they'd acknowledge him because he's a bloke."

"Aw come on, where's that assertive personality you do annoyingly well?" Lew asked with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

"I must have left it in Aldbourne."

"Then it's a good thing no one there has found it yet," Lew joked and Meg was about to shoot him a rude comment when Harry cut in.

"Well those British officers don't know who they're dealing with," he said just as the waiter returned with their food. "All you have to do is impress them once and they'll know not to mess with you."

"Easier said than done. I sit in those meetings and all I do is take notes. I'm practically the unofficial secretary."

Lew scoffed into his coffee.

"Megan Myeroff, a secretary," he said, acting as if the idea was ridiculous. "You just need to rough 'em up a bit. Pull a Cobb on them."

"Yeah right," Meg said and now it was her turn to scoff. "If I did that they'd have me thrown out! I don't think Commander Morgan is as forgiving as Colonel Sink."

"Morgan?" Harry asked, eyebrows rising. "As in Frederick Morgan?" When Meg nodded, he let out a breath and leaned back in the booth. "Well damn Meg, you're with the big guns."

"You boys put so little faith in me," Meg said as she took a rather large bite of her grilled cheese sandwich. Lew laughed as he handed her a napkin.

"I can certainly see why," he said, tossing a wink at Harry.

"Shut up," Meg said as she took the proffered napkin and wiped her mouth.

"So what exactly are you doing with Frederick Morgan?" Harry asked and Meg gave him a look.

"You know I can't tell you that," she said and Harry frowned, looking up at Lew.

"C'mon Harry, the lady's an IIA agent. She can't go around spouting off everything she's doing on the job," he said and Harry nodded, seeming to understand what they meant.

"So you can't tell us anything then?" he tried one last time and she laughed. He was lucky it was him asking; otherwise she'd probably be annoyed.

"Nothing until it's completed. Now finish your sandwich."

* * *

After lunch the three of them found themselves back in the streets of London. Meg showed them the building in Westminster she was staying at and then they headed over to Piccadilly.

"Well Miss Myeroff, care to let your two sweethearts treat you to a theater performance?" Lew asked as the three of them walked arm in arm, Meg in the middle again.

"Sweethearts? But Harry, what about Kitty?" she asked in mock shock. Harry rolled his eyes and shoved her shoulder with his own.

"What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Besides, I don't think she'd mind sharing me for the night, especially if it's with you."

"As long as the kissing's kept to a minimum," Lewis shot over Meg's head and the three of them laughed.

"Well there will be none of that so I'm sure we'll be fine," Meg said as they walked. Suddenly something Harry said hit her. "Harry, have you told Kitty about me?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Of course I did," he said, seeming to think it was an obvious answer. "She's my girl back home, you're my girl here. I thought it only fair I let her know I'd been enjoying female company these past few weeks."

"God Harry," Lew said with a laugh. "I hope you actually explained Meg's situation to her and didn't just leave it at that. Kitty'll be going crazy over there."

"No I did," he said before catching Meg's worried eye. "Don't worry, I didn't give too much away," he added quickly. "I just told her a female agent had been stationed with us and she was a nice addition. I've told her a few stories about you but she doesn't know more than she needs to."

Meg sighed, suddenly feeling guilty. She should have more faith in Harry; he knew her role was a serious one and wasn't worth the risk to write his sweetheart about.

"Sorry," she apologized, squeezing his arm tightly. "I'm just not used to having all these friends outside of the IIA. And after what happened wit-" she cut off, swallowing as she realized she had almost revealed too much.

"What happened with what?" Harry asked, seeming confused. One glance at Lew told him the other lieutenant didn't know any more either.

"I just find it hard to trust people," she finished shortly as they approached a ticket booth. "Now what show do we want to see?"

The three finally decided on _Song of Norway_. The show was a matinee so they only had an hour to kill beforehand. The boys claimed they wanted the matinee so they could see the London sights at night, but Meg knew the only London sights they'd be seeing would be the pubs. Not that she was complaining. She hadn't enjoyed a drink since she went out with the Captain, and even then she wouldn't use the term _enjoyed_.

Another plus of the matinee was that they were already dressed nicely enough. While evening shows always involved patrons in ball gowns and tuxedos, Meg's peach dress would work just fine for the matinee.

"Of course we don't have to worry about our clothes," Harry was quick to point out with a smirk.

"Yeah, we could show up in our sweat-stained PTs and they'd still treat us like royalty," Lew added and Meg simply rolled her eyes. The one thing these boys didn't lack was modesty.

She was just about to turn and give them a suggestion of where they should go before the show started when someone caught her eye.

"Shit," she whispered, ducking back behind the two and pushing them together to form a wall to hide behind.

It wasn't obvious whether their shock came from her swearing or from the action itself but both men stopped and turned to look at her over their shoulders.

"Care to explain?" Lew asked and Meg nodded before ducking lightly.

"Just trying to avoid someone, just keep walking."

"Which someone?" Harry asked as they both turned to look around them.

"The British officer over there with the dirty blonde hair," she said and they both looked. They were just able to see the back of his head before he disappeared deeper into the crowd.

"Has he been bothering you?" Lew asked and Meg was quick to note that he seemed concerned. She suddenly realized how this whole scene might look to them. She knew Harry was a hothead, the man had been busted back to private three times after all, and while Lew didn't seem like someone to get in a brawl in the middle of the street, she didn't want either of them to feel the need to defend her honor.

"Not so much bothering on purpose," she said before explaining. "He wanted to get lunch today but I told him I had other plans. He just seems to think we're friends and I seem to think we're better off...well, not."

"So you're telling us that that poor man over there wants to be friends with you and you're avoiding him?" Harry asked with a cluck of his tongue. "For shame Meg."

"Oh stop," she said, hitting his shoulder lightly.

"And here you've been, whining and complaining about how no one here will give you the time of day," Lew started and she pushed him roughly, causing him to stumble slightly. "Watch it miss," he teased, "or I'll draw attention to you. I'm sure that officer would be sad to find you hiding from him."

"Lewis Nixon don't you dare," Meg said through her teeth and Lew just laughed.

After another few seconds hiding behind the two, Meg glanced over and noted Captain Norris had entirely disappeared. Pushing back forward to return to her position between the boys, she smiled and led them on their walk.

* * *

"You have to admit it was a little overdone," Lew's deep voice said, coming from lips surrounding a cigarette.

It was almost 11 at night and the three of them were currently sitting in a booth at the back of an old English pub, Harry and Meg with a pint of beer and Lew with a large whiskey. They had grabbed dinner from a fish and chips street vendor, Lew remarking that the man deserved their business if he was going to stand outside in November. After dinner they had walked through the rest of Piccadilly before the boys had spotted a pub they wanted to go in. That pub had turned into another, which had turned into another, and here they were, three hours later.

"Alright perhaps it was a little overdone," Meg said, finally giving in to what they had been arguing about since the show ended. "But just because it was a little overdone doesn't mean it was any less of a good show."

"Here here," Harry said, raising his glass. His opinion had been absent from the argument so Meg could only assume he was referencing the fact that the debate seemed to be over.

"Another one?" Harry asked as he finished his with a chug. Meg laughed and shook her head, pointing to her half full glass. "Just one then," Harry said as he jumped from the booth and headed to the bar.

"Oh I'm so happy you two came to visit," Meg said, turning to Lew. She and him were sitting on one side of the booth while Harry had been stretching out to take over the other side. Although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was glad of the arrangement. Just as she was glad when the boys had insisted she sit between them at the theater. Being next to Lew was almost more intoxicating than the alcohol in front of her. Of course it didn't help that he had taken to stroking her arm halfway through the production.

It was similar to how his hand was currently brushing against her hand every so often; gently and almost as if by accident.

Except Meg knew it was for sure not an accident. In fact, if she was being completely honest, it wasn't helping her problem at all. Previously she had hoped and prayed that the feelings were one-sided. While it would be absolutely wonderful to find out the man you were pining over cared about you too, that was only true if he was single. Not married.

But here Lew was, showing her small displays of affection, hidden under tables or in dark theaters. It was obvious he knew what he was doing was wrong, which made her question it even more. What exactly was he doing?

"Yeah me too," Lew said in response to her statement, putting down his cigarette to take a drink of his whiskey. "It's nice to get away from the boys for a bit, get some fresh London air."

"And of course seeing me had nothing to do with it," she said with a smirk, elbowing him lightly. _Aw hell_, she thought to herself, _the alcohol's got me_. Brushing it off, she decided she'd deal with the consequences in the morning. As long as she could blame it on the alcohol in the morning, she was more than happy to give in to her urges and flirt with the charming lieutenant tonight.

"Not at all," he said before winking at her. "So you said you'll be back in a month huh?" he asked, changing the subject.

"More or less. I'm hoping it's sooner but who knows with how things are going."

"You better be back for Christmas," he said and she frowned.

"I thought you told me I wouldn't be missing much? You said that if Sobel was still around he'd probably make you all run exercises all day."

"That may be true," he conceded, "but then what are the boys going to do with all the mistletoe they got otherwise?"

"You'd better be joking," Meg said but one look at Lew told her he wasn't. "They seriously bought mistletoe?"

"It's a Christmas tradition," Lew defended, "and who else are they going to kiss under it?"

"Themselves because they're certainly not going to be kissing me."

"I hope one of them tries," Lew said with a laugh. "I'd like to see you punch one of them in the mouth."

"The only person in Aldbourne I'd like to punch in the mouth is Sobel and I doubt he'll be the first one to go in for a kiss," Meg said under her breath as Harry returned, a pint in each hand. "I thought you were only getting one," she nodded to the two glasses.

"Eh," Harry said as he set them both down and slid into his seat. "I'm sure one of us will drink it."

* * *

A honking horn startled Meg awake. As she lay there, blinking her eyes to adjust to the light, she noticed a few things.

One, she was lying on her side facing the broad shoulders of a man.

Two, someone was snoring rather loudly behind her, causing their breath to tickle her neck.

Three, There was an arm draped across her hip.

Four, she was most certainly not in her room.

"Wha-?" she asked, cutting herself off as she rolled over to get a better look at the situation.

It appeared that she, Lew, and Harry had chosen to rent a hotel room for the night. She was currently wedged in between the two of them on a queen-sized bed, Harry to her front and Lew to her back.

She prayed to God no one walked in on the situation. She doubted anyone of authority would find it acceptable.

As she tried to sit up, the arm around her waist tightened, pulling her back down and flush against Lew's chest. How had she not noticed his snoring had stopped?

"Lew we have to get up, we're in a terrible position that would ruin all of our reputations," she said, still trying to pull herself from his grasp.

"Meg," Lew said, his voice still gravely with sleep, "go back to bed and we'll discuss this when we're more awake."

Realizing he wasn't going to let go of her, Meg gave up with a sigh, nestling in closer and bringing her hands up to cup her cheek like a pillow. Besides, the odds of someone walking into their room were slim. She was worrying too much for nothing.

Just as she was closing her eyes, she felt a pair of lips press against the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder.

"That's a good girl," Lew mumbled, his lips vibrating against her skin, sending shivers down her back. Just like that, she knew all hopes of falling back asleep were gone. Her body was entirely too sensitive to his touch, quickly taking note of the fact that his one leg was flush against hers.

It was going to be a long couple hours.

* * *

When the boys were more awake a few hours later, Harry phoned for room service while Lew hopped in the shower, leaving Meg to sit awkwardly on the bed alone.

"So, feeling alright?" Harry asked as he came over to sit next to her, the phone call finished. Meg chuckled with a nod.

"Perfectly fine. I'm learning my limits apparently. How about you?"

"While I've certainly been better, I've certainly been worse," he said with a shrug. "I sure wish I had his tolerance," he added with a nod toward the bathroom door.

"I've learned that about him," she said and he nodded. "It concerns me a little."

"Dick and I have talked about it," Harry said, nodding to tell her he agreed. "We're keeping a close eye on him."

A silence fell between them and for some reason Meg felt like it was awkward. She didn't know why though, because this was Harry. Loveable Harry who could make her laugh almost as much as Lew could. She had no idea why being around Harry would make her feel awkward or nervous...

"Meg I have to tell you something, and you're probably not going to like it."

…That was why.

"Alright," she said, turning to give him her full attention. Whatever it was, it seemed like Harry was having trouble telling it to her. "Harry now you're making me nervous. Just tell me already," she said, leaning forward to take both his hands with her own, squeezing them lightly.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to tell you," he said and she nodded, urging him to continue. "Nix...well, he's married."

There was a beat of silence as Meg stared at him.

"I'm sorry if that comes as a shock or ruins your opinion of him or anything but I felt you deserved to know," Harry continued, rambling. "He's a good guy and I know he cares about you and Lord knows his wife back home isn't the greatest but I know you, and I think you deserve to know what you're getting into. I don't know what I would tell you to do in this situation but it-"

"Harry," Meg said, squeezing his hands and cutting him off. "It's alright, I already know."

"You do?" he asked in shock.

"Yes, I knew even before I met him. But it doesn't matter, because there's nothing going on," she said, silently wondering who she was trying to convince more, Harry or herself. Judging by the knowing look he was giving her, he didn't believe her at all.

"Meg-" he started to say, obviously about to tell her to stop lying. Thinking fast, she cut him off.

"I thank you for your concern though," she added, standing up and leaning over to place a soft kiss on his temple. "Kitty is very lucky to have you."

"Thank you," Harry said softly as the bathroom door opened. He threw her a look, a look that clearly said their conversation wasn't over. She tried to ignore him, turning her attention to the bathroom door instead. Lew stepped out, wearing only his pants and his white t-shirt. Meg found herself unable to resist eyeing his damp hair and strong arms. Those were things she didn't normally get to see and they only increased her lust for him.

Lust? When had that become a factor? These were dangerous thoughts she was having; dangerous thoughts that needed to be stomped down immediately, and right now the only way to do that would be to get Lew out of her sight.

"Uh, do you mind if I hop in?" Meg asked, moving quickly to squeeze past him into the doorway. "I just think the food may be getting here soon and I don't want us caught in an awkward situation with the bellhop."

And before either man could answer she shut the door, leaning back against it with a sigh.

Lewis Nixon was going to be the death of her.

* * *

"Promise me you'll both write," Meg found herself saying two hours later as she walked the boys to the train station. "I've had so much fun this weekend, I don't know how I'm going to bear going back to work with all those stuffy British officers tomorrow."

"Hey, don't forget you're a Limey too," Harry said, cuffing her lightly on the chin, "they'll have to warm up to you sometime. And of course we'll write. We'll write so much you'll get sick of us."

"I don't know if that's possible," Meg said with a giggle. "If I'm not sick of you two already, I don't think a few letters will make any difference."

"Well don't say that just yet," Lew cut in. "Keep statements like that for after you're back at Aldbourne and any threat of letters has ceased."

"If I ever get back to Aldbourne," Meg added dramatically and Lew smirked, shaking his head.

"Don't say that either. Of course you'll get back to Aldbourne. I think the 101st would fall apart without you."

"I actually think it already has," Harry added with a laugh.

"Damn straight," Meg said as they came to a stop and turned to each other. Meg pulled Harry in for a hug first, squeezing him tightly as she stood on her tip toes. "I don't want you to go," she said softly and she felt him laugh, squeezing her back. "Please keep an eye on him," she whispered into his ear and she felt his head nod up and down.

"Meg," he started to say again and she shook her head, cutting him off. She didn't want to continue their discussion here of all places.

"Harry please," she pleaded softly and he sighed, giving in and putting on a false smile.

"Yes ma'am," He said, letting go of her and giving her a dramatic salute. Meg rolled her eyes and hoped Lew couldn't see how ridiculously overdone the gesture was. Once again, Harry gave her that look, clearly reminding her that their conversation wasn't over.

"Write to me," she repeated, hoping he would understand she meant to continue the conversation via letters. It was foolish to think that kind of conversation could be properly had through writing but she didn't know when she'd see Harry again and she knew he was adamant to discuss this. He nodded, telling her he got it.

That part of her good bye done, Meg turned to Lew, pulling him in next.

"I'll miss you," she said into his ear and she felt him duck his head, resting his mouth on her shoulder as he held her close. "Don't do anything stupid, and take care of Dick will you?"

"I see how it is," Lew said, pulling away with a lopsided grin. "Always worried about Dick aren't you?"

Meg could tell he was teasing so she simply shrugged.

"He _is_ my favorite."

The conductor called for all aboard and the two men turned, each ruffling Meg's hair before heading for the train. As Meg stood on the sidelines, she watched sadly as her last form of enjoyment left her behind.

Now it was back to the grindstone.

* * *

_Last chapter I got 4 reviews! Yay me!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue** - I hope you enjoyed the stuff about Harry and Kitty in this chapter. I think their romance is ridiculously adorable so I tried to portray it that way haha. And yeah, I do enjoy stories where Dick is a love interest. I just liked Lew for this story because I like portraying Meg in the struggle of falling for someone who's married to someone else. But I do agree, Dick is a great love interest. It must be the ginger in him haha_

_**IceColdInAlex** - I agree on the Captain lol, what did you think of him in this chapter? Annoying I hope hahaha. And yeah, Meg is back in her environment but it's not going quite the way she wants it is it? We'll have to see what happens to her in London in the next couple chapters... And did you enjoy the trio's shenanigans? I hope so! haha_

_**LovingBOBThePacific** - First, I have to apologize. I haven't read any chapters of your story in a few days and here you are, a devoted, weekly reader of mine. I'm really an awful person. I'll probably end up reading a good amount this weekend though, because with no internet, all I have is my phone and I enjoy reading FanFiction/Fictionpress stories on it haha. Look for more reviews soon! Anyway, I'll really try to add more Joe Toye in. I reread my story last weekend and was kinda like "shit...how am I going to do that?" But I think I have a good idea so we'll have to see if it works out. Don't be mad if it doesn't though! I'll try my hardest, I promise :)_

_And finally, a very BIG thank you to **SparkELee** for reading and reviewing every single chapter in one sitting last week! I was so excited when my phone kept buzzing that I was getting more and more emails haha. I'm glad you love my story line! I hope you continue to do so as the plot continues. I'm really glad you like the interactions she has with George, the other boys, and especially Lew. It's great to hear that readers think my portrayal of the characters is good so thank you! And yes, she is tortured. I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and their reunion!) Thanks for reviewing!_


	11. Don't Shoot the Messenger

What's this!? I'm posting a chapter NOT on a Thursday night!? Is the world ending? Is hell freezing over?

Of course not! I'm just being awesome!

Okay, in all reality this is what happened: I looked at what was coming up next and realized the flow of things would make the next chapter be really short (aka about 2,000 words) when my chapters are usually between 3,500 and 5,500. So I decided that to make up for the shortness of this chapter, I'd post it halfway between Thursdays. AND, to make up for it, Thursday's upcoming chapter is over 8,000 words! BAM. Why didn't I split them in half better you ask? Well, because the flow was off. And we all know flow is important.

Side note, the guy came and fixed our internet today. It took him 2 hours and it was ridiculous and annoying. On the plus side, he looked like Riley from National Treasure so I wasn't too upset...haha

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

_Meg,_

_ I know it's been two weeks since we visited you in London, so I'm sure you're annoyed at the fact I haven't written to you since we left. However, before you shoot me at the delay of this letter (and I hope after hearing my reasoning you won't shoot me at all. Unlike those British soldiers, I respect what you can do with a gun); I have important news for you regarding your favorite Easy officer. Both of them actually, and no, I'm not one of them._

_ First, Sobel was transfered out of Easy last week! I feel this news requires you to go to the nearest pub and have a drink to celebrate for us. Sink sent him to Chilton Foliat and as you can imagine, everyone is happy he's gone. In fact, I don't think the boys have stopped celebrating since he left. Of course none are as happy as our good friend Dick Winters. I know you've been obnoxiously worried about him, so I'd like to inform you that with Sobel gone, Dick was relieved of his duties as Battalion Mess Officer and has been made leader of 1st Platoon, meaning he's back with Easy. I guess that means you'll have to have a drink to celebrate for him as well! I told you it would all work out, yet you still doubted me. Have more faith in your favorite intelligence officer Meg. Maybe now with Sobel gone, I can take his place as one of your favorite Easy officers. I won't tell George Luz._

_ With Sobel gone, Easy's new XO is Thomas Meehan, from Able Company. I'm almost positive you never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I think you'd like him, and you would definitely like him more than Sobel. We've been getting to know Meehan a bit over the past few days and I approve of him 100% (and you and I both know my approval is one of the most important things a man can get!). At least the kid won't turn Easy into sitting ducks once we get over there!_

_ I'm sorry you won't be receiving that kiss under the mistletoe you wanted from Sobel, now that he's gone. Maybe I can make it up to you if you get back here in time for the holidays._

_ When the boys found out we visited you last weekend (once again don't shoot the messenger, that one was all Harry) their first question was why the hell didn't they get an invite to come visit you. We explained that you didn't have a lot of time to be entertaining, but our excuse didn't seem to stick well with them. You're gonna have a lot of apologizing to do when you get back. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you got a few angry letters. You did say you wanted them to write to you more! Feel free to ignore them if you want. By the time you get back here, they'll be so happy to see you that they'll have forgotten all about it._

_ And because the boys of Easy care about you so much, their second question was whether you planned to be back in Aldbourne for Christmas. I find myself wondering the same exact thing._

_ Don't disappoint us Meg._

_ Lew  
_

* * *

_Lew,_

_ I was so happy to get your letter. Although you were correct in thinking that I was annoyed at my lack of post from Aldbourne, the delay of it was overlooked upon seeing that Dick will not be punished as I have feared. Thank the Lord for that! I couldn't imagine Dick as anything other than a person in charge of the men, so I'm glad to see he'll get to continue doing what he loves. Of course I'll have a drink to celebrate for all of you. Tell Dick I'm happy for him and I'll be having a drink tonight in his honour as well. A drink of water that is, since I have to be awake and in meetings all day tomorrow, starting at eight o'clock. Besides, I feel Dick would appreciate the idea of my drinking water in his honour instead of alcohol. I'll save that for when **you** narrowly avoid disciplinary action._

_ As far as Christmas goes, no promises. Word's going round that we may be here for another month yet, depending on whether these obnoxious men can all find it in their hearts to agree on something. All this arguing that's been going on for weeks is starting to annoy. I wish I could tell you some of the discussions and debates they've had, for I'm sure you would find it all humourous. However, you know the rules, so you'll just have to imagine the most ridiculous conversations a group of military men can have and hopefully it will give you insight as to what I have to put up with on a daily basis. For the most part, I just stay quiet and listen, continually pondering what the hell I'm doing here. Hopefully the reason shall reveal itself soon, even if it means I have to stay in London for Christmas. Of course you know I want nothing more than to be back at Aldbourne with my favorite paratroopers, and I'll try everything I can to make that happen._

_ And don't think I didn't notice your cheeky comment about the mistletoe. I'm simply choosing to ignore it._

_ Yours,_

_ Meg  
_

* * *

_Adam,_

_ You'll never believe it! General Bernard Montgomery has arrived and has been appointed Commander in Chief for the Land Forces! I am to be working with him over the next few weeks, starting immediately! I had the opportunity to speak a few words with him yesterday and it was a delightful conversation. The man is a hundred times better than I ever would have imagined him to be, and certainly over a hundred times better than all the other men I've spent the last few weeks working with. Whether I play a larger role in this whole thing or not, it is still an honour to say I worked with General Montgomery on something so important. And, judging from the conversation we had yesterday, I think he may be more willing to include me than anyone else has been._

_ I know you're jealous and honestly I think you would have filled this role much better than I. None of the men here seem to think I carry any weight so I mostly get left out of discussions and debates. I know I've whined about this before, but it continues to be a problem. You'd think that after being here for almost two months people would start to realize I have some good things to offer the group. From what I've gathered from talking with Montgomery however, I feel like he will give me a chance to prove myself. I can only hope!_

_ Speaking of hopes, I hope I'm able to return to Aldbourne for Christmas. I would hate to have to spend the holidays here by myself in London. If I can't get away, please see if Marco will let you come visit me. I'll ask him myself if I have to. I just can't bear to spend another Christmas by myself, especially when I've made so much progress in the past few months._

_ Oh! Silly me, here I am ending this letter to you when I've completely forgotten one of the reasons I decided to write you in the first place. Remember that British Captain I mentioned a few weeks ago? Well it turns out the reason he knew about the IIA was because of a comrade: Sergeant Thomas Wellington! The kind (yet annoying) Captain introduced us last night and I fear the Sergeant and I spent a good part of the evening exchanging stories about you. Don't worry, nothing too personal and certainly nothing that would jeopardize your role as an agent. We just simply enjoyed discussing our mutual interest. And, can I just say that I have a few things to ask you about when I get back; a few things the Sergeant mentioned to me that I was unaware of. We can leave that conversation until we are happily reunited._

_ I miss you._

_ Your sister,_

_ Meg  
_

* * *

_Meg,_

_ That's amazing news about the General! But let's sidetrack for one second and address something a little more pressing that's recently been brought to my attention._

_ Rumor's going round Aldbourne that two certain Lieutenants visited you in London a few weeks ago when they both had 48-hour passes. Care to explain yourself? Or explain why I wasn't told about it at all? I don't expect you to keep me informed on every aspect of your life, and I certain don't feel that I can or should tell you what to do. It's just that you failed to mention it in any of your letters, which makes me think it was either a) done behind my back deliberately or b) done as a surprise for you. I hope it was the later. I know I can't boss you around anymore, but I still feel the need to inform you that I feel less than alright with the idea of American soldiers visiting you, no matter how honourable their intentions may be. I will say though, that I was pleased it was at least two of them. Having one man visit you in London would certainly look less honourable, not to mention how much it would ruin what little reputation you have been able to create for yourself when you're not working for the IIA. We can discuss this more when I see you in person; I know that my words come out sounding more like I'm angry when you can't read my body language. Just know that I'm not angry, I'm simply concerned. You are my younger sister after all, and I will always be concerned about you no matter what._

_ Now back to the General. You're correct in thinking I would be jealous, I am. Maybe someday you can introduce us. And stop feeling pity for yourself. You and I both know that you're better at that kind of stuff than I would ever be. You just need to stick your neck out and show them what you're made of. Prove to those men that you can do it all just as well as they can, maybe even better. I can assure you none of them have some of the skills you have obtained over the last few years, so at least there's that positive thought. Hopefully you're right in that the General will give you a chance to prove yourself. If he's anything like the stories and newspaper articles have made him out to be, I'm sure he will. He seems to be a fair gentlemen and, as long as he knows exactly who you are and what your qualifications are, I'm sure he will be more than willing to have you play a role in this whole thing._

_ On the topic of the impending Holiday, I've spoken to Marco already and he said if you are not relieved of your services for Christmas, I am more than welcome to stop in London and celebrate with you. I know you'd rather be finished with that job and settled back here but as long as we're together, we'll make Christmas work somehow. And don't worry about a present for me; celebrating with you is more than enough._

_ Your concerned brother,_

_ Adam  
_

* * *

_Adam,_

_ I'm coming back to Aldbourne! The General announced tonight that he doesn't think having us celebrate Christmas with only each other will help boost morale at all. While we certainly have gotten a lot accomplished since his arrival all those weeks ago, I do not fancy the idea of having to work over the holidays with no break. It looks like I'll be arriving back to Aldbourne sometime on Christmas Eve, as long as travel arrangements are not too difficult to come by. The General said he wishes for everyone to return on the 27th of December. I wish I had a longer break, but you and I both know this is how it goes. The General asked me to meet him this evening before dinner to discuss something, so hopefully it's something positive!_

_ Adam, please don't tell anyone I'm returning. I really want to surprise everyone when I show up. Plus, I've been hearing rumours of mistletoe and I'd really rather not give any of the boys more time to put anything else together. I wish I could have surprised you too, but since we had left our Christmas plans with you coming to London if I couldn't make it to Aldbourne, I really couldn't see how I could keep it from you._

_ Well that's it for now. I know this is a short letter, but I really want to meet with the General on time, otherwise it will look bad. I'll keep you posted on my final travel plans for Christmas Eve. I can't wait to see you!_

_ Much love,_

_ Meg_

* * *

Because this chapter's so short, is a filler, and is a present to you guys for being awesome, no review responses this time around! But, I promise I'll respond to all the reviews from this chapter AND last chapter in this coming Thursday's. So please review! It only takes like, two seconds and it makes my whole day. I think the ratio of that situation is in your favor haha.


	12. Something to Think of You

_Well look what it is, another chapter. This one is my longest yet! It's almost 9,000 words! (9,932 if you include all my intro and ending narration haha) Crazy right?_

_And what about Damian Lewis winning that Emmy? YAY Damian! I've been on the hold list at the public library for like WEEKS to get Homeland and I think I'm still like, #22 or something. Thank God I did it all that time ago though, with all the awards it won the list of people is probably up to 100! I watched the first couple episodes online to see if it was worth staying on the list and it definitely is! I can't wait to watch it all!_

_So this past week has been almost as crazy as last week. Almost. I always feel like I live a boring life because I have no friends nearby and am currently stuck living with my parents (ugh) and my sister is away at college so I don't even have her to hang with. Anyway, I feel like my life is depressing and boring, but I seriously have had like no down time all week. I can't even find time to go to the gym! WTF am I doing!? Seriously, I have no idea._

_Anywayyyyyyy...here it is woot woot. I guess technically this is the "Christmas Special" but since it's not even October yet, just try and force yourself to get into the holiday spirit..._

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Meg smiled at the sound of the snow crunching under her feet, glancing up as the snowflakes danced around her head. It certainly was going to be a white Christmas in England.

Her duties at Westminster had finished the day before, allowing her to return to Aldbourne as she'd hoped. General Montgomery's orders that no one work over Christmas had gone so far as to tell Meg she would not be required until after the beginning of the new year.

She had been worried at first that his willingness to dismiss her so easily had meant that she had done something wrong. Over the past few weeks she had been working directly with the General on reorganizing Morgan's plans for Operation Overlord. She had been surprised at first when he'd requested her personally, meaning she would be able to give her opinion more freely and without fear of being shot down by one of the officers. While they had been getting along perfectly well in her opinion, she was concerned this was his way of brushing her off, feeling as if his first choice hadn't been his best choice.

After seeing her face and hearing her fears, the general had laughed and patted her somewhat patronizingly on the head, telling her she was a better worker than most of the officers there and he expected her to use the small break to relax and recuperate before they continued with the plans. Although he didn't come right out and say it, the underlying message was that the new year was going to bring them even more work and even less rest.

Now Meg found herself walking along the snow covered path to the familiar mess hall. She had hoped to arrive back at the military base earlier in the day, planning to spend Christmas Eve day with all her favorites. Unfortunately London transportation had other plans. It seemed everyone was eager to get home that day and so she had had to wait her turn. As she stood at the bus depot, she had suddenly wished she was an official member of the military. They always seemed to get special treatment in these kinds of situations.

She had arrived at dusk, knowing all the men would be eating dinner. Stopping outside the door, she took a deep breath and peeked in, spotting the Easy men sitting over in the corner. Pulling open the door, she walked in and blushed when everyone slowly caught sight of her and stopped talking. Even the men from the other companies recognized her from around Aldbourne, especially because of her little experiment she had done when she first arrived. It was slightly endearing to know that all these men knew her but she knew less than half of them.

"Meg!" a familiar loud voice shouted and before she knew it, there was a blur of khaki and she was being lifted in the air and spun around in a circle by George Luz.

"George!" she cried with a laugh, holding onto her things tightly so they wouldn't go flying into an innocent bystander. The private finally set her down and put his hands on her shoulders, holding her out to look her over, similar to what both Lew and Harry had done when she'd met up with them in London. However, from George's facial expression, he did not seem as happy with what he saw as they had.

"You look sickly," he said and she frowned at his accusation. "I don't think they took care of you in London. I hope you're back for good, we're gonna have a hard road ahead of us if we plan to get you back to normal."

Rolling her eyes, Meg linked her arm through his and allowed him to lead her back to the tables where the rest of the Easy men were. After saying hello to each of them, she sat down, smiling when she was immediately offered a plate full of food. Accepting it from Bull with a thank you, she suddenly realized she hadn't eaten anything all day. As she very formally 'tucked in,' the boys around her chuckled with amusement at the sight of her properly stuffing food into her mouth.

"So, I hear you've all got some mistletoe for me somewhere," she said after she had eaten a good amount of turkey. A few of the men blushed but her favorites just smirked, glancing around the table at each other with open mirth.

"Of course we do, but we can't tell you where," Muck finally spoke up. "You'll just have to hope you step under it."

"Or don't, whichever the case may be," Bill added and Meg laughed, beginning to realize just how much she had missed this group of men.

"Uh oh," George said suddenly, a sly tone lacing his voice. Meg looked over at him, following his arm up to where it was dangling above her head, a sprig of the offending plant between his fingers. The rest of the men had noticed it too, chuckling silently until she had acknowledge it. Then they all burst into loud laughter, causing paratroopers from some of the nearby tables to glance over at them.

"George Luz you rascal," Meg said with a roll of her eyes before leaning over and placing a lingering kiss on his cheek. "There, that's all you'll get from me," she said before turning back to her food. George seemed to find this response acceptable and, with a shrug, he put the plant back in his pocket and returned to his food as well.

"So how was London?" Malarkey asked her a few minutes later when her eating had calmed down.

"Boring as hell without you boys," she admitted, noting the pleased grins that were plastered on their faces. "I swear I've never noticed it before but the British military men are so stuffy compared to the Yanks."

"Damn right!" Bill shouted, earning a couple 'hear, hear's' from the other boys at the table.

"We heard you had a couple visitors," Joe Toye said, his deep voice sending a chill through Meg. She had forgotten his voice could do that. "How come we weren't invited up?"

"Honestly?" Meg asked, using the time to think fact. "I told them not to. Lew-tenant Nixon wrote and basically informed me that he and Lieutenant Welsh were coming up. I had absolutely no say in the matter, one way or another." She silently thanked God that Lew's name could flow so easily into the word Lieutenant. The last thing she needed was these boys seeing just how close she was to their charming superior officer. "My nose has been to the grindstone every day, practically since I arrived. I would never have had the time to entertain constant visitors, no matter how much I would have wanted to," she finished, giving them all a sweet smile to prove her point.

"Alright," George seemed to decide, setting his arms out across the table. "We'll let it slide, this time."

"Why thank you," Meg said sarcastically, grabbing her fork and placing her last piece of turkey in her mouth.

Stuffed and feeling as if her dress was now too tight, She leaned back and looked around the room, quickly spotting the three men she was looking for.

"Excuse me gentlemen, it's time for me to continue saying my hellos," she said as she stood from the table and walked over to where Lew, Harry and Dick were sitting.

"Always with the higher ups," she heard Joe Toye moan as she left, but the only acknowledgement she gave his statement was a small smile and blush that he wasn't lucky enough to glimpse.

"Gentlemen," Meg said in greeting as she slid onto the bench next to Dick, silencing the men's conversation as they all looked her way.

"Meg!" Harry cried, reaching over to shake her hand since the table prohibited anything else. "We were hurt when we saw you eating with the boys instead of over here," he told her, forcing a fake pout to cover his face.

"What can I say?" she said with a casual shrug. "I've gone longer without seeing them than seeing you."

"Not Dick you haven't," Lew said, pointing at his ginger friend with his spoon. Meg turned to the man next to her and gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Dick," Meg teased before her eyes widened in realization. "And now I can finally say congratulations in person!" she cried before pulling him into an awkward hug, knowing without looking that he was blushing. "I knew Sobel couldn't really hurt you."

"Is that why you asked Nix about me in every letter?" Dick asked with one of his rare smirks.

"I just can't win with you boys," Meg said with a shake of her head as she turned back to the whole table. "Where's Adam?"

"You just missed him," Lew said. "He was sitting with the rest of the Easy boys."

Meg chose not to ask why Lew was keeping tabs on her brother, instead throwing him a warm smile. She had missed the charming Lieutenant; a lot more than she'd dare admit to anyone.

The two of them had written plenty of letters to each other in the past few weeks. Every morning Meg would check for mail and every time she had an envelope with Lew's name on the return address, she had to hold herself back from squealing in delight. Such a girly reaction would not help her attempts to make the British officers look at her with more respect.

Sometimes Lew's letters came as often as four times a week. It made her wonder if perhaps she was the only one he was writing to, but she never let that question linger for too long.

With each letter their friendship grew, and with each letter she found herself falling for him more and more.

At first she had scolded herself; had tried to make it go away. He was married afterall, and she may not follow every rule given to her, but that was a pretty big one to break. However, as the stack of letters on her desk grew, she found it harder and harder to keep him from her head or from her heart.

And now here he was, sitting in front of her and grinning widely. It was enough to make her heart stop.

"Now that you're back, I'll have to see if I can scrounge up some of that mistletoe," he added, tossing her a wink. "Give you that kiss I promised." She had to keep her facial expression indifferent, but inside she was giggling like a silly school girl.

"George Luz has some," she said casually. "He already used it on me."

"Of course he did," Dick said with a laugh. He knew his men well.

"So, anything fun planned for tonight?" Meg asked and the three men shook their heads.

"Just heading to the pub I'm sure. Probably do some loud obnoxious singing and all get rip roaring drunk," Lew said and Meg gave him an evil grin.

"In other words just a typical night for you then?" she asked and out of the corner of her eye she saw Dick and Harry lock eyes, smirking. However they were the only ones who found her comment humorous.

"I'm gonna get you for that," Lew said under his breath and Meg leaned forward, locking eyes with him and ignoring the voice in her head that was practically shouting at her to stop flirting.

"Not if I can run faster," she replied before gracefully standing up. "Well gentlemen, I think I shall be calling it a night. See you all in the morning," she announced before throwing a smirk at Lew and heading for the door, not even tossing a glance back.

She had barely made it ten feet from the mess hall when she heard the door open again. Turning, she caugh the familiar silhouette of Lew against the light from inside. Giving a girlish giggle, she took off through the snow, running in the opposite direction.

As far as a stereotypical floozy was, Meg was pulling out all the stops. However the happiness and excitement of being back at Aldbourne, back with her lads, and away from the stuffy Brits made it impossible for her to prevent her behavior. Instead she let out a loud laugh and dodged around a patch of ice in the poorly shoveled path.

Heaving footsteps were heard behind her and before she knew it, arms wrapped around her waist and her whole body was spun around before being pushed down into the snow.

She would be the first to admit she may not have been running her fastest.

Meg landed backwards with a soft thump, her back end dipping into the snow. With a louder oompf, Lew landed ontop of her. Although being so close to him would normally send her heart a flutter, Meg moaned at the impact and on reflex her knee shot up, causing Lew to moan louder in pain.

"Fuck," he said as he gasped for breath. "Jesus Christ woman!" he cried as he rolled off her, curling into the fetal position in the snow. It didn't take long for Meg to realize what she had done and she covered her mouth with her hand, hoping he wouldn't see her laughing at his distress.

"Hey now," Meg said, eyeing him with humor in her eyes, "don't blame it all on me."

"True," he gasped out, "I may not have planned that the best."

"That's one thing we can agree on," Meg said just as two figures approached them from the direction of the mess hall.

"What happened?" Harry asked, motioning to the prone form of Lew on the ground. As he waited for her answer, he reached his hand out, pulling Meg to her feet.

"We had a little accident," she replied as she brushed snow off her coat and legs. Lew let loose a sadistic chuckle.

"That's an understatement. She kneed me in the Goddamn balls!"

After a sympathetic wince from both Harry and Dick, the two smirked as they looked down at their friend in obvious pain.

"You gonna be alright?" Dick asked as he leaned over and offered his hand. Lew took it, standing to his feet and immediately dropping to rest his hands on his knees.

"Yeah I think so," he said breathlessly and Meg sighed.

"Don't be such a baby," she scolded with a roll of her eyes. "I made less of a fuss when I was shot."

She hadn't been thinking when she made the comment, but when all three men's heads snapped to look at her, she realized maybe she should have kept that part quiet. She kept forgetting that these weren't fellow IIA agents; they had yet to see actual action so they weren't used to battle wounds being mentioned casually in passing.

"You were shot?" Lew asked, looking up at her with his hands still on his knees, still struggling to breath evenly.

"Yeah, it wasn't a big deal," she said, trying to brush it off.

"I've never heard someone describe getting shot as not a big deal," Dick said as he turned to her, crossing his arms.

"Alright so maybe it was a big deal," Meg finally gave it, "but I certainly didn't whine as much as this one when it happened."

Realizing she should stop before she said anymore, she reached down and grabbed her bag that she had dropped in the snow when Lew had grabbed her. She brushed it off lightly before tossing it over her shoulder.

"I need to go find Adam, I'll see you boys later." And with a spin of her heel she was gone.

"How come when I'm around that woman I feel like less of a man?" Lew asked and both Dick and Harry burst into laughter, Lew soon joining in.

* * *

"I feel like we haven't celebrated Christmas together in years," Meg said as she handed Adam a cup of tea, sitting on his bed next to him. She had arrived at their quarters two hours earlier to find him reading over one of his codebooks. Handing him her copy of _A Christmas Carol_ and requesting that he read some of it aloud, like their father used to do when they were children.

He had read for a while before asking to take a break for some tea and the chance to talk in person for the first time in weeks.

"Because we haven't," Adam informed her with a roll of his eyes. "Our job doesn't exactly give us holidays off."

"True," Meg agreed, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder. "But I'm glad we get to celebrate this one together."

"Me too," Adam said, turning his head to place a kiss on her hair. "I got you something," he said and she leaned back to look at him with a soft smile.

"I got you something too," she said, getting up and walking over to pull a small wrapped package from under her bed. When she returned to him, he was holding a similar package.

The two exchanged the gifts, tearing the wrappings open at the same time.

"Seriously Meg?" Adam asked, looking down at the pistol and leather pistol belt in his hand. "What is this?"

"A Browning M1911. That specific belt however, was only made for generals in the US Army. I got my hands on one and thought you might like it. Especially if we continue to stay in Aldbourne; it'll help you fit in with the American men if you wear a pistol belt with the United States seal on it."

"This is a ridiulous present," Adam informed her, strapping it around his waist and looking at himself in the mirror.

"Well look at what you got me!" Meg said with a laugh as she held up a brand new copy of _Wuthering Heights_.

"Eh," Adam said with a shrug, not looking up from his reflection. "You've read _Gone With the Wind_ too much. The lady at the bookshop recommended that someone of your taste might enjoy this one. Besides, I'm sick of seeing you carry that ridiculously large book everywhere," he said and Meg shook her head before punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"Ass," she said under her breath as she placed her new book down ontop of the old one. "It's a nice present though. And it actually is a book I've been meaning to read," she said with a smile and Adam nodded.

"Your present's nice too. Thanks."

The exchange done, the siblings snuggled in closer together as Adam picked up A Christmas Carol and began reading again.

_"'Your own feeling tells you that you were not what you are,' she returned. 'I am. That which promised happiness when we were one in heart, is fraught with misery now that we are two. How often and how keenly I have though of this, I will not say. It is enough that I *have* thought of it, and can release you.'_

_'Have I ever sought release?'_

_'In words. No, Never.'_

_'In what then?'_

_'In a changed nature; in an altered spirit; in another atmosphere of life; another Hope as its great end. In everything that made my love of any worth or value in your sight. If this had never been between us,' said the girl, looking mildly, but with steadiness, upon him; 'tell me, would you seek me out and try to win me now?'_"

Suddenly Meg stood up, cutting her brother off as she walked over to the other side of the room.

"Adam," Meg said softly as she lay down on her bed. Adam made a noise of response, set the book down, and looked over at her to show he was listening. "I miss him."

The specific name wasn't spoken but Adam knew she was talking about Christian. Despite the fact that Adam was her hereditary brother, Christian had always had a soft spot where the younger girl was concerned, making them almost closer. Recognizing her downcast mood and understanding that it would probably never go away completely, Adam sighed, wishing he could do more to help his sister.

"I know Meggy," he chose to reply, realizing too late that he'd used Christian's pet name for her. Meg didn't seem to care though, instead rolling over on her side so her back was to him.

"Happy Christmas Adam," she said softly, hoping he couldn't tell she had started softly crying.

He could.

* * *

"I can't believe you," George practically shouted in Meg's ear the next morning as she was making her way to the mess hall, tightening her coat around her to ward off the freezing morning air. "You haven't shown your face here in over a month, a month Megan, and then you come back and don't even join us at the pub for a Christmas Eve celebration!"

"Happy Christmas to you too George," Meg said with a smile as she turned and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Does that make up for it? I didn't even require mistletoe."

"Yeah I guess," George said with a shrug, his cheeks reddening slightly.

With the new, perfect Christmas morning all Meg's sorrow from the night before had slipped away. In fact, it was impossible to tell that this same girl had cried herself to sleep hours earlier. She had a skip to her step as she walked to the mess hall, hoping to run into all her favorite boys despite it being so early in the morning.

She should have known better.

Other than George, not a single member of Easy Company showed himself before noon. Meg went back for lunch and greated Malarkey, Muck, Liebgott, and Perconte, all four of them looking a little worse for wear. They forced smiles as they wished her a Merry Christmas and she took pity on them, bending down to place a kiss on each man's cheek. At least they were well enough to react accordingly to her gesture.

After eating a somewhat silent meal with them, Meg excused herself, hoping they would be in a better mood by suppertime.

"Lieutenant," Meg said with a mock salute as she passed Dick on her way out. "It's nice to see one member of Easy looking awake enough to enjoy the holiday."

"Yeah well that's what happens when you don't drink," Dick said with a smile. "I take it you didn't join in the Christmas mayhem last night either?"

Meg shook her head with a wide grin. She was definitely in a good mood.

"I spent the evening in with Adam. I figure I'll go out tonight whether they all go too or I'm by myself. Christmas is my favorite day of the year and I didn't want to celebrate it hungover."

"Glad to see you're making good decisions," Dick said as he went to walk past her. "Oh, our favorite intelligence officer is still asleep by the way. I tried waking him but gave up. Maybe you'll have more luck."

An evil smirk graced Meg's lips as she turned and headed in the right direction.

Five minutes later found her standing over a prone Lewis Nixon, trying to decide how best to wake him up. Hands on her hips, she stood there, a small wrinkle creasing between her eyes as she thought.

It had briefly crossed her mind that this situation completely crossed the line to inappropriate. Not only was she in the quarters of a man, but he also didn't seem to be wearing much more than an undershirt and whatever was hidden below the covers. Judging by the fact that his trousers were tossed in a heap on the floor, she was guessing his clothing below the waist might be seriously lacking.

But Dick had asked her to wake their friend, so tossing aside any misgivings she had, she squared her shoulders and accepted the challenge.

"Lew," she said softly, reaching out to pat his shoulder.

No response.

"Lewis," she said a little louder, grabbing hold of his shoulder and shoving it back and forth.

Lew groaned and rolled over onto his stomach.

"Go away Meg," he said, his words muffled by his pillow. Meg let go of him and stepped back.

"At least you didn't call me Katharine," she said with a sigh of relief. That would have been completely awkward for both of them.

Making a decision, she hitched up the skirt of her dress and climbed onto the bed so she was kneeling next to him. Reaching over, her fingers curled around an extra pillow, pulling it toward her. Standing up on her knees, she lifted the pillow above her head, ready to strike.

"Lewis Nixon if you don't get up right now I'll-"

But Lew never got to hear what she would threaten to do. In less than two seconds he had grabbed her around the waist and flipped them both over, elliciting a shriek from her as the pillow flew from her hands. She landed on her back, head sinking into his pillow as his body flattened against hers. Unlike the night previously, when they had found themselves in this position and she had ruined it by kneeing him, now there was no pain. Immediately, her heart sped up, her pulse quickening.

"I could get used to this view every morning," he said, his voice still gravely with sleep. He looked down to where she was pinned between him and the bed, throwing her a very suggestive and inappropriate smirk that only made everything feel hotter to her. Surely his bed must be on fire; there was no explanation to how stuffy and hot everything suddenly felt. Knowing she had to get away fast, she forced a scowl to her face, beginning to push him away.

"Well I couldn't," she responded as she struggled to get free of his grip. She knew she was blushing; she had to get away from his touch before her face stayed a permanent hue of red. He let her go with a laugh, rolling off of her and she pulled herself up, walking away from the bed quickly.

"Liar," Lew said but Meg wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right.

"Dick sent me to wake you up," she said, running her fingers through her hair to fix any flyaways having her head buried in a pillow may have caused. "He's at the mess."

She turned to leave and was almost to the door when he called out her name.

"Hold on a second," he said and she stopped, keeping her back to him when she heard the distinct sound of him pulling on his pants. "Alright you can turn around," he said and she could tell from his tone that he was laughing at her.

Ready to scold him for mocking her attempts to keep some propriety between the two of them, she stopped when she saw a small box in his hand.

"Merry Christmas," he said and she frowned, not moving any closer. "Are you going to come see what it is? I swear it won't hurt you," he said after a few minutes of silence between the two had elapsed.

"But I didn't get you anything," Meg said softly, suddenly feeling dreadful. She had assumed their relationship, whatever it may be, was to be kept somewhat of a secret. She hadn't even thought there was a chance they might be exchanging gifts.

Lew brushed her comment off, walking forward to hand her the package since she had still made no motion to move toward him.

"Don't worry about it. I saw this and immediately thought of you, so I figured I'd get it."

Meg listened to him and she unwrapped the package, revealing a square jewelery box.

"Lew," she said in a tone that hinted she was part excited, part nervous, and part angry about the gift. Opening the box, she gasped lightly.

Nestled inside was a silver necklace. The charm of the necklace was a silver dartboard with what she suspected was a ruby in the center.

"Because the first night we knew who you were, you played darts with the boys and I couldn't take my eyes off you."

Meg was shocked by his statement. She remembered he had been watching her that night but she didn't realize how intently. The gesture was almost...romantic.

Her stomach dropped. She felt like she couldn't breath as panic began to set in. In all her wildest dreams she had wished this would happen, but never once had she believed it might actually come true; that Lewis Nixon would actually act romantically toward her. Sure, he flirted a lot, but this was taking it a step further.

"And where in God's name did you find a dartboard necklace?" she asked with a forced laugh, trying to calm herself down from the situation before he noticed.

Lew reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, smirking awkwardly as his cheeks reddened. Lew blushing? This was a new development.

"Alright so I may have gotten it custom made in town," he explained and she looked at him with wide eyes. This was definitely a romantic gesture.

Not knowing how to take it, she took another deep breath and tried to pretend it was a friend she was talking to, like George or Harry. As long as she imagined Lew; handsome, charming, romantic Lew; as someone else, maybe she could make it through this exchange.

"Now I feel awful for not getting you anything," she said and again he brushed it off. However, she ignored him as she suddenly realized she did have something to give him. Something her brother would absolutely kill her for giving him.

She debated it for a second, trying to decide if she was making the smartest choice in the world. Glancing up at Lew's face, Meg was startled to see a strang look in his eyes. Was it compassion? It was certainly deep, whatever it was. Coming to her decision, she gave a little nod to herself. Reaching for her right ring finger, she slipped the ring off, both of them looking down at it silently. Then Meg stepped forward, locking eyes with Lew as she reached her arms up, wrapping them around his neck. The two stared at each other as she undid his dog tag chain and slid the ring onto it, stepping back when she was finished.

Lew took the chain in his hand, ignoring his dog tags as he touched the ring, holding it up to look at.

"It was my mother's wedding band," she felt the need to suddenly explain, mostly because the room was becoming too quiet for her to bare. "It was the only thing the French sent back to us after they-" she cut off, feeling her throat begin to burn. "After they killed her," she finished, fighting back against the tears that were threatening to fall. Apparently no emotion was free from her today.

Realizing exactly what the ring in his hand meant to the girl before him, Lew shook his head, glancing up at her.

"Meg you can't give me this," he started but she cut him off, stepping forward to wrap her hand around his hand that was holding the ring.

"I want to. This way you'll always think of me when you're off fighting and I'm stuck here in England."

She had meant it as a joke, her statement about being stuck in England. Something to lighten the mood. However one glance back up at him had told her that it had done exactly the opposite.

"Meg, I don't need something to think of you," Lew said, his voice suddenly sounding husky and it was definitely not from just waking up.

Locking eyes again, Meg was startled to realize how deep chocolate Lew's eyes were. His face was covered in stubble and she had the sudden urge to tell him he should shave. However that seemed to be the last thing on his mind at that moment so instead she focused on the fact that they were getting closer.

Closing her eyes, Meg tilted her head up, using all her willpower to keep from shaking with excitement. This was Lew, whom she had been wanting to kiss for weeks. She couldn't believe it was finally going to happen.

"Hey Nix," a voice suddenly called from outside and the two of them jumped far apart as the door opened.

Ronald Spiers walked in, looking surprised at Meg's presence before glancing between the two suspiciously.

"Well Dick will be waiting," Meg finally stammered out before turning and walking as calmy as possible past Spiers. He tipped his hat to her as she went past but she was too embarassed to notice.

"Stupid girl!" she said under her breath as she walked back to her quarters. "Stupid, stupid girl!"

What had happened to her willpower? What had happened to her being an independent woman? Were all those strong characteristics going to disappear whenever she was around that infuriating man?

"Excuse me," a voice said as she bumped into someone. Too engrossed in her internal ranting, she barely threw Floyd a glance as she stepped around him and continued on her way. "Merry Christmas!" he called after her but she didn't hear him, still mentally yelling at herself for giving into temptation much too easily.

"Are you going out tonight?" Adam asked as soon as she walked into their room. When he saw she hadn't heard him, he repeated the question louder.

"What? Sorry," she said, jumping and looking at her brother.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked as he came over to take her face in his hands. "You're not getting sick are you? Montgomery working you too hard?"

"No, no I'm fine," Meg protested, swatting her brother's hands away. "Now what had you asked me?"

"I asked if you were going out tonight."

"I was planning on it," she said, silently wondering if it would be possible to avoid Lew all night if they were both at the pub. If she didn't go, there was always the chance he'd come looking for her, and surrounded by a crowd of people was better than being found alone in her quarters.

"I think I'll come with you. The lads always talked about how much fun you all had at the pub."

"Adam," Meg said, suddenly able to put her entire focus on the conversation. "Are you telling me you haven't gone to the pub once? Not once since you've been here?"

"I don't mesh with the lads as well as you do," he argued and she sighed, shaking her head.

"You're a disgrace to the Myeroff name," she teased as she walked over to her closet. "What will you wear?"

"I have no idea. I need you to help me!" he practically whined and she shook her head with a small smile.

"Well we certainly have plenty of time."

* * *

"You don't think this is too much?" Adam asked, examining himself in a mirror. He had on a nice black suit with a white shirt and red tie. Meg had specifically picked the bright tie because it went well with the green velvet dress she was wearing.

"Christmas colors," she had explained to her brother's rolling eyes.

Now he seemed to be having second thoughts, eyeing himself in the mirror critically.

"Adam it's fine. The men are all going to be in their Class A's. You'll look foolish in anything less," Meg stated as she shoved him sideways with her hip, leaning over to look in the mirror while she put her earrings in.

"Well you certainly look nice," he said with a huff. "So does this mean that not only do I get to watch you chat with everyone, I also have to make sure no one makes a move?"

"Of course not," Meg said with a tittering laugh, silently wondering what he would do if Lew treated her like he had been of late.

Adam took one last look in the mirror before glancing up at his sister.

"Are we ready to go then?" he asked, holding his arm out like a gentleman. Meg grinned, grabbing her coat to put on before looping her arm through is.

The walk seemed to take twice as long as usual. Meg knew it was because she wasn't used to doing it in the cold, but she still couldn't believe it took her the same amount of time to walk it in the autumn weather. She decided to blame it on Adam walking slowly.

When they stepped into the pub, Meg glanced over to the usual corner, pleased to see Easy Company there.

"Come on," she shouted to Adam over the sound of talking and music. Pulling his arm, she led him over to the table, taking off her coat and tossing it on a nearby chair.

"Meg!" Bill cried, standing up to give her a kiss on the cheek. "S'good to see ya doll. Merry Christmas."

"You boys sure seem more chipper than this afternoon," she said with a laugh as she made her rounds, placing kisses on each cheek and calling out 'Happy Christmas' to each of them.

"That's what happens when you get the evening to sleep," Joe Toye told her, standing up to pull her into a rather tight hug. When he released her, Meg glanced over to see Adam eyeing him with a sort of annoyance.

"Now boys," she said, smirking before settling herself down on Malarkey's leg. The boys chuckled, tossing a few comments to Malarkey and making him blush. Meg waited for them to quiet down before continuing. "What's this I hear about my brother not coming to the pub at all? None of you went over there and dragged him out here?"

The boys all glanced around at each other before shrugging. Apparently none of them knew the answer. Meg was just about to reprimand them when she was cut off.

"Hey Meg!" Adam's voice called above the rest of the noise. "Gin?"

She nodded and he turned, heading to the bar.

Her brother gone, Meg turned and smirked when she saw Malarkey still had a hint of a blush on his cheeks. Deciding there was no need to scold them for forgetting her brother, instead she reached her hand up and lightly pinched the Irishman's cheek.

"Can somebody find me a chair before Malarkey's face catches on fire?" she teased and the guys laughed as they quickly produced an extra chair for her to sit on. Settled in, she leaned back and merely listened, enjoying the sound of all these friendly voices after such a long time.

It took her a moment to notice it, but when the sound of Bing Crosby's voice drifted toward her, she glanced over at the jukebox in the corner.

"I love Christmas music," she said softly, thinking no one would hear.

"It's fucking depressing," George said next to her before making a face. "Sorry," he apologized for his swearing and Meg didn't have the heart to scold him. When the song changed to _I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm_ she turned to the shorter paratrooper and held her hand out.

"Care to dance?" she asked and he nodded with a grin, pulling her from her seat and over to the empty dance floor. Usually local girls would show up to fraternize with the Americans but it looked like their families were keeping them inside on Christmas, making Meg the only female in the building.

As the two swayed to the music slowly, Meg found herself sighing.

"What's on your mind babycakes?" George asked, causing her to chuckle at the nickname.

"I'm just happy," she finally decided to say. "It's been a long time since I've been so happy."

"Well that's good ain't it?" George asked with a quizical look. "That sigh didn't sound too good."

"It's complicated," Meg tried to explain and George pulled her a little closer, their eyes level.

"Explain it all to Uncle George," he said in a fatherly tone and she smirked and shook her head. "Seriously Meg," he said suddenly, his humor seeming to disappear. "What's eatin' ya?"

"What do you think about cheaters?" she asked quickly, instantly regretting saying anything. This wasn't like her, blurting out personal problems to people who weren't Adam. She often found herself pondering this question since coming to Aldbourne: what were these Easy men doing to her?

"You mean like, at a game?" he asked, seeming confused. When she shook her head bashfully, he caught on. "Oh like married cheaters," he said with a nod. "Well, I guess it depends on the situation, but for the most part I'd say they're scum." When he saw the disappointed look in her eyes he frowned. "Why? You ain't married are you? We ain't talkin' bout you right?"

"Well, not entirely..." Meg trailed on, now wishing she'd said absolutely nothing. "Nothing, forget I said anything," she said, a false smile gracing her lips. With a sigh, George turned and grabbed her hand, pulling her across the room and over to a quiet, unoccupied corner. Meg didn't understand how he could have found such a place in this crowded bar but he did, practically shoving her into a chair before sitting down and scooting closer to her.

"Alright, explain," he said, his tone suggesting no nonsense.

So Meg told him everything. About how she was falling for Lew. About how he didn't seem to want to talk about his wife but he seemed more than willing to start an affair with her. About how she was angry with herself because she didn't care that Lew was married. About the fact that if Lew walked up to her and planted one on her right now, she'd return it, no question.

When she had finally finished ten minutes later, George stayed quiet, rubbing a hand down his face.

"I need a drink," he finally spoke, making her pale.

"Is that all you're going to say?" she asked, feeling awful about her revelations.

"Shit Meg, you're so deep in this I don't know _what_ to say," he said before closing his mouth, realizing that was a bit harsh. Sighing, he threw on a smile. "I know I said I think cheaters are scum, but I also said it depends on the situation." He leaned back, shrugging. "Who knows, maybe you and Lieutenant Nixon just met at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe he's supposed to be with you instead 'a her."

"You really think that?" she asked, hopefullness laced into her words. Seeing how much it meant to her, George reached out and squeezed her on the shoulder.

"Of course I do," he said. "It just stinks about the wife part."

"Yeah," Meg trailed off, looking out at the room for the first time since she had started telling her story. Her eyes were instantly drawn to Lew and she decided she could draw him out in any crowd. George turned, following her line of vision and smirking.

"Let's go dance yeah?" he asked, not waiting for her answer before picking her up off the chair and leading her back onto the dance floor. They didn't make it very far however when Adam appeared, a drink in both hands.

"Where did you go?" he asked harshly, openly glaring at George.

"To talk," Meg said firmly, telling Adam there would be no room for discussion. "George is a friend and we were just catching up. Sorry, I didn't realize I had to stay in your line of sight all night."

Adam seemed to feel guilty then, dropping his eyes before holding her glass out.

"Here's your drink. Sorry the glass is covered in condensation; I've been holding onto it for a while," he said, before turning and nodding an apology to George. The paratrooper accepted it, turning and winking at Meg before motioning that he was going back to his seat with the boys.

"We'll dance again later," Meg called after him before turning back to her brother. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" he asked, shocked at her tone. "So now _I'm_ the one in trouble?"

"Yeah," she said before turning away for a second. "George is just a friend. A friend alright? He saw something was bothering me so we stepped aside to talk about it."

"What's bothering you?" Adam asked immediately, folding his arms across his chest. Meg was about to shoot back a sharp reply when she paused. All Adam was really doing was trying to be a good brother. It may have been annoying, but could she really fault him for that?

"Let's go back to the lads and finish our drinks," she said, ignoring his question and instead wrapping her arm through his and weaving toward the table.

For the next two hours she and Adam laughed at almost everything that came out of George's mouth. Meg and Bill beat Adam and Muck soundly at a game of darts, earning themselves another round before Shifty swept in, asking for a dance.

Meg had a soft spot for the quiet paratrooper. She didn't know him very well but the interactions she'd had with him had all been completely polite and proper to a fault. Recognizing a good Christmas waltz, she asked him if he knew how to do a basic step. When he informed her that his mother had taught him, she smiled and allowed him to lead the way.

Shifty knew the dance better than he let on. As the two of them waltzed around the room, Meg was suddenly very glad she was the only girl here. Otherwise there wouldn't have been enough room to enjoy the song.

"You dance real well ma'am," he said, ever the gentleman. Meg grinned as she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.

"So do you Shifty," she replied, trying to tune out the cheers and yelps coming from the table of Easy men. Looking at Shifty, she could tell he was embarassed by them too.

"Give 'im another one Meg!" she heard Bill's distinct voice.

"Yeah, on the mouth this time!" That was Malarkey's voice and Meg's eyebrows rose and she glanced back at the usually subdued private. Obviously the men were enjoying their alcohol.

"Private," a voice suddenly said and both Meg and Shifty turned to find Harry standing there. Shifty saluted and Meg smirked.

"Happy Christmas," she said as Harry took her in his arms, dancing to a more upbeat tune.

"Merry," he informed her, a glint in his eye. "It's Merry Christmas ya Limey."

"Yank," she shot back, knowing they were just teasing. "So how's Kitty? Send her anything good for Christmas?"

"A package of lace doilies," he said and she looked at him with a confused smirk. "What? She's always going on about how Brits make lace doilies better than Americans do. A shop in Aldbourne makes 'em so I had a bunch shipped over to her."

"Aren't you just the sweetest," Meg said, letting go of his hand to reach up and pinch his cheek affectionately. "I'm sure she'll love them."

"And what about your presents?" Harry asked, giving her a knowing smirk. "Get anything good?"

His question struck Meg as odd, the cogs in her head turning. He couldn't possibly know about the necklace from Lew could he?

"Uh, Adam got me a book," she said, trying to bring her focus back to the conversation.

"What book? Just in case I want to borrow it when I get bored."

"_Wuthering Heights_. I don't think it's your type of book," she said with a chuckle and he wrinkled his nose.

"I think I agree with you," he replied before nodding to her neck. "And where did you get that?"

The twinkle in his eye was back and, on reflex, Meg's hand shot up to cover the dartboard charm.

"Old friend," she said frantically and Harry pulled her in closer.

"Old friend my ass," he whispered in her hear before pulling away. "Are you planning on avoiding him all night or are you going to go talk to him?"

"I can't," Meg said, skipping over the embarassment that she had been caught. "Harry he's married."

"That didn't seem to bother you in London," he winked at her before his face turned serious. "Unless...don't tell me you've fallen for the man!"

Her silence was his answer and he chuckled once in disbelief.

"Harry you can't tell anyone," she said quickly, pulling his attention to her face. "It's wrong and I'm ashamed, so please...no one can know."

"You know he's crazy about you right?" Harry chose to respond with. His statement caught Meg off guard and she looked at her friend, speechless. "And speak of the devil..." Harry trailed off as a shadow covered them both.

Immediately, Meg felt her heart rate speed up. Her palms felt sweaty and so she pulled them from Harry's grasp, hoping he wouldn't notice.

She knew exactly who was standing there.

"Mind if I cut in?" Lew's deep voice asked, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. She looked up at Harry pleading, begging him to help her and say no but the short lieutenant mearly smirked and took a step back.

"She's all yours," he offered before throwing Meg another wink and walking away.

Realizing she was standing awkwardly sideways, she took a breath before turning to face her new dance partner. Lew was giving her an inquisitive look, his hand held out for her to take. She slowly did, allowing him to pull her close. As soon as his hand touched her's, she felt the cold medal of his wedding band, slamming her into equally cold reality. However, instead of pulling herself away, she stayed in his arms, weak and vulnerable.

They swayed there in silence, his right arm around her waist, his left hand wrapped around her's, pressing it between their bodies. Her nose came to just his shoulder so she kept her face there, staring out behind him.

"Meg say something," Lew finally spoke, breaking her away from her silence.

"Adam's keeping a close eye on me tonight," she said, still refusing to make eye contact.

Lew laughed at her comment, pushing her away from him just a smidge.

"That's what you chose to say?" he asked, giving her a skeptical eye. "What about 'Merry Christmas Lew' or 'Thank you for asking me to dance Lew' or 'I'm glad to see you haven't lost my mother's ring yet.'?"

Meg tensed at his statement, hoping no one would hear.

"Christ you're jumpy. What's gotten into you?" Lew asked, scowling down at her as if he were trying to figure out his own answer.

"I'm not feeling particularly well," she responded. It wasn't exactly a lie; she did feel rather faint in Lew's arms.

"Meg..." he pleaded softly and then she did look up at him, catching his eye.

Immediately her knees felt weak and she gripped his arm tighter on instinct. He noticed the movement and scowled, trying to figure her out.

"Maybe I should sit down," she said softly, pulling away from him.

She knew he had been watching, but when Adam arrived by her side in an instant she knew he had been watching too closely.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking between the two. Meg could tell Lew was rather put out, annoyed at being interupted.

"I just feel a little dizzy," Meg responded. "It must be from all the dancing."

"C'mon, let's go home. It's well after midnight anyway," Adam said as he turned to go get her coat.

"Meg..." Lew said again, turning her attention back to him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she replied, suddenly feeling tears well up. He was apologizing for that afternoon. For the necklace...for the almost kiss. She didn't want him to apologize for those, they had been perfect. She was just confused. "Please don't be sorry," she all but begged, hoping he would understand what she meant. Before she could find out though, Adam returned, practically throwing her coat over her shoulders as he simultaneously dragged her out of the pub.

"You better make it home," Adam warned. "I'm not carrying you."

And for the rest of the walk Meg's mind was filled with the image of a certain lieutenant who would willingly carry her home whenever she needed him to.

* * *

_So what's going to happen with Meg and Lew? There's a bit of tension yeah? Hopefully it'll get ironed out soon...especially since she doesn't know when she's leaving again!_

_I got 5 reviews on the last chapter, and six on the chapter before that! That means a good number of review responses. YAY!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue** - Yeah Harry is ridiculously adorable where Kitty is concerned. Especially when you think about how much of a hot head he is haha. And yeah, I have a thing for gingers lol. I'm actually shocked that Lew's my main Easy guy in this and not Dick. But I do like Lew and Meg together haha. And yup! She's back at Aldbourne! What did you think? Thanks for reviewing both chapters!_

_**LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX** - Glad you liked the chapter! No discussion between Meg and Lew in this one, but it is coming! It's certainly building up, isn't it? And I'm glad you like the scenes between Lew and Meg! (Secret: I do too haha) Don't worry, there will be plenty more! Thanks for reviewing!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific** - I hope you liked my little nod to Joe Toye in this chapter :) When I went to reread this chapter for the first time (after I mentioned trying to put him in more) I came across that part about his voice and I laughed! I guess I already had him on my mind lol. And stop! You're making my head big with all your gushing about loving every sentence hahahaha. Soon I won't fit out the door! Thanks for reviewing both chapters! Let me know what you think of this one! _

_**SparkELee** - Thanks so much for your reviews! I'm glad you think they're perfectly written, with being spot on with the characters AND with the pacing. I always worry about both those things more than anything else when writing so it's great to hear a reader things they're perfect! And yeah, Harry's just a hoot hahaha. And I'm happy I could brighten your day :)_

_**IceColdInAlex** - That's cool that you're a RAF cadet! I've never met/known anyone who was one so that's awesome! And yeah, hopefully she can ditch away from him soon haha. What an annoyance! And yes, their relationship is certainly developing. Sometimes I feel like it's going too slow, then I remember he's married, so anything faster would be quite a scandal! haha. And yeah, I like stories written in just letters. I've always wanted to write one, but I don't think I'm good enough at creating a plot via letters to do more than what I did in the last chapter. I'll definitely have to check out that book you mentioned... Thanks for reviewing the chapters!_

_**onebyone** - Thanks so much for your review! I'm glad you like Nix as the love interest, I do too haha. I hope you're happy with how I handle the whole married thing. It was definitely tricky because I just wanted to jump right into the romance and my roommate/editor was all "Slow down! He's MARRIED!" hahaha._

_**Tegan Ganmore** - Your review made my day. Like seriously. Day = Made. First, I didn't really understand the beginning part about a Brevet year (?) but I"m going to assume that it's a very scholarly thing you're doing that sounds hard and exhausting and I know I could never do it. Ever. I do understand being away from home though, and that sucks. At the same time, it's an adventure :) But seriously, reading about how you get a cup of coffee and read the story in an accent made me feel so happy I wanted to giggle with glee lol. In fact, I'm sure I grinned like an idiot when I read your review. I'll say it again: Day = Made._


	13. Terrified and Disgusted

_Hey guyssssss._

_So I'm home alone like, this whole week and it's getting ridic. Not only am I having to take care of our barn and house etc, but our neighbors are out of town so I'm taking care of their barn too! Thus, I'm sitting here exhausted from working 8 hours and then doing all these barn chores, and I've realized I didn't do review responses! So thus, this chapter has gotten published later on a Thurs night than I usually intend...also I will be going to bed 30 min later than I planned...ughhhhh_

_Also, in my rush to try and get this out, it may not be completely, totally edited. I'm all nervous it's got major flaws but I've read it through twice previously so I'm just putting it in your hands haha. (Don't judge me if any gaping flaws are there!)_

_Anyway, without further ado, here is the next chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

"I can't believe you won't be here to celebrate," Meg whined, following Adam back from the mail office where he had just received his orders to leave that Thursday. "It's New Years Eve for Christ's sake!"

It had been almost a week since that night at the pub and Meg was doing everything in her power to avoid Lew. She had taken to spending all her spare time in her quarters, reading through Wuthering Heights as her excuse. Meals were spent squished between George and Muck, the former keeping a watchful eye over her. True to his word, George hadn't told anyone about her infatuation with Lew and for that she was eternally grateful.

"Well you won't be here much longer after," Adam shot back in regards to her wine, hitching his bag up higher on his back. "With the coming of the new year I can guarantee you they'll be making more plans to push things forward. We're both gonna be needed over there and we won't have too long to wait before we go and don't come back here."

"I hate thinking about that," Meg said and Adam stopped walking, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I don't mean it like that," she amended quickly. "I love what we do, it's just been so long since I've been out in the field and with all the boys here..."

"Meg," Adam said, pulling her close and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Once you get out there again, you'll be back to your old self in no time."

* * *

That afternoon, Meg found herself seated with a few of the boys at the mess. She still couldn't figure out exactly how she had gotten there, but it involved a very weasley George and an overly charming Shifty. And she had thought he was the sweet one of the group.

After being there for a few minutes, Joe and Bill had stumbled across a few old records sent over from the USO for Christmas celebrations and they were trying to convince Meg to dance with them.

"Come on Meg, just one swing around the place. No one's even here to watch you make a fool of yourself!" George cried as he tried to pull her to her feet, eager to join in on the fun. In response she just laughed, keeping herself firmly planted in her chair, forcing all her weight against him. However she knew he could lift her if he wanted so it was obvious he wasn't trying very hard.

"Oh no, I don't feel like dancing today," she laughed, making him frown in jest.

"Not even me?" he pouted, causing her to roll her eyes and shake her head. "But I thought I was your favorite?" he continued and she laughed.

"You are George, believe me. I just don't feel like dancing," she explained.

Suddenly a polka started and her eyes widened. Maybe she did feel like dancing...

"Oh polka!" she shouted as she jumped up and hurried over to where Bill had just put a new record on the player. "What is this?" she asked him and Bill shrugged.

"Dunno. I just put it on," he explained as she stopped the machine and pulled the record off, reading the names of the songs listed on the label. Spotting one she liked, she smiled and held it out.

"This one," she said as she handed it to Bill, pointing to the song she wanted.

"You got it kid," he told her with a nod, flipping the record around between his fingers before setting it back on the player.

"Alright gentlemen," Meg said as she walked back over to the small group. "I will acquiesce to your request. Does anyone know how to polka?"

Their original excitement at her agreeing to danced waned as boys all looked at each other. By the looks on their faces it was obvious none of them did. Meg rolled her eyes again before walking over to her favorite paratrooper.

"Alright then, George get up here," she said and he was quickly at her side. "I'll teach you."

As the song she chose began to play, she led, dragging him around the room as they danced to the music. George was rather clumsy with his feet and Meg found herself in a continuous peal of laughter as they continued to dance. Despite his clumsiness, he caught on to the simple steps quickly, speeding up their tempo to match more with the music.

In the doorway of the pub, Lew and Harry both stood, watching the delightful scene with smiles on their faces. With their orders coming any day now, it was good to see the boys having a little fun. And no one would ever hear Lew complain about Meg being in a good mood.

"Meg sure looks happy," Harry commented, earning a grunt from Lew. "You gonna go in there and get a dance?"

"She'd probably run out the door before I made it halfway over there," was Lew's reply, dripping with sarcasm.

"So she's still avoiding you?" Harry asked, eyeing his friend with concern. "What did you do to her Nix?"

"Me? I didn't do anything!" Lew practically cried before dropping his voice. "One second we're exchanging gifts and being all...I dunno, sweet, then next thing I know she can't even stand to look at me. The woman's driving me crazy."

Harry smirked at his friend's rant, knowing exactly what was going on. He knew he had promised Meg he wouldn't say anything, but he wasn't going to keep it a secret if he knew it would help the two of them out. Turning his head, he was just about to tell Lew what Meg had revealed on Christmas when someone cleared their throat.

"Lieutenants," a young voice said and they turned to see an orderly standing there. Lew was quick to notice he had a letter in his hand.

"Who are you looking for private?" he asked and the kid nodded in the direction of the dancing couple.

"Miss Myeroff sir," he said and Lew stuck his hand out, motioning for the letter.

"I'll give it to her when she's done," Lew said and the private nodded, saluting both of them before turning on his heel and heading back out.

Glancing down, Lew realized it wasn't so much a letter as it was a slip of paper with writing on it.

"What's it say Nix?" Harry asked next to him, and Lewis realized he wasn't the only one who noticed it wasn't sealed.

Lifting it up, they quickly skimmed the rushed writing.

_General stopping to visit Monday. Need you here by tomorrow morning. Dress will be waiting. Don't disappoint.'  
__Lynette_

Both men frowned as they looked at the confusing note.

"What do you suppose that means?" Harry asked and Lew was hit with a sudden urge to tell him to mind his own business. Then he realized that technically it wasn't his business either. Besides, Harry had a soft spot for the sweet agent, Lew couldn't be angry just because everyone cared about her.

So instead of voicing a response, Lew just shrugged his shoulders, glancing up to see the couple had stopped dancing and Meg had returned to her chair, breathing heavy and still laughing.

"I'm gonna go take this to her," He said as he left Harry's side and walked over to the group. He nodded to the boys as they saluted him before quickly making themselves sparse as Lew slid into an empty chair next to Meg.

"Lew," she said, tossing him a big smile. He hadn't seen her this happy ever; it made him feel warm inside.

"It's nice to see you're talking to me," he commented casually. "I thought you were avoiding me."

Meg's face paled as she remembered that she had been. Dancing with George had put her in such a good mood she had completely forgotten to give Lew the cold shoulder.

"Uh..." she stuttered, not exactly sure what to say in response.

"This was just delivered for you," Lew said instead, handing over the piece of paper. As she skimmed it, he watched as her lips pursed tighter together until they were nothing more than a thin, straight line. "Everything alright?" he asked, worried.

"What? Oh yes, yes it's fine," she said as she stood up, a dazed look on her face. "I just need to step out for some fresh air."

This couldn't be happening. Not now. Meg felt suddenly faint. She had to have realized that he'd send for her eventually, but a part of her had always hoped he would have given up. Yet here it was, the note in her hand that told her he'd never give up.

Lew watched her leave before jumping up and jogging after her, ignoring the looks the other men were giving him.

"Meg what's wrong?" he asked after he caught up with her just outside the mess.

"Nothing Lew, I'm fine," she said as she continued to walk.

"You're most definitely not fine," he said as he had to speed up his pace to keep up with her. "What is that note? Are those your orders?"

She stopped walking for a moment as she seemed to contemplate something. Lew tried to be patient, waiting to hear how she would explain it all. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head; could practically hear her think.

"I'm to report to Paris," she finally settled on, refusing to make eye contact with him as she said it. Instead of waiting for a response from him, she started walking again, silently wishing she could disappear through the ground. Trying to figure out what was going on with Lew was hard. Mentally preparing herself for these orders was hard too. How could she handle them when they were thrown together like this?

"Paris?" Lew asked with a laugh. "But that's in occupied France!"

When Meg didn't answer, Lew grabbed her arm, yanking her around to face him. She didn't know what hurt her more, his hand squeezing her arm or the mixed look of fear and anger on his face. She had never seen Lew mad before but she could only assume it might get pretty bad. She did not like the idea of witnessing it for the first time on the receiving end.

"Let go of me," she said softly but he didn't listen.

"Not until you tell me why you're reporting to occupied France," he said before running his other hand through his hair. "Jesus Meg, don't you realize the Germans are everywhere?"

For a second she thought he was joking. Then she realized he really was serious. He knew she was an agent; he knew what he did. So why couldn't he put two and two together and figure this out on his own.

With a sigh she realized she'd have to spell it out for him.

"Exactly," she replied and his reaction was almost immediate.

"So that's why they're sending you then?" he asked, his grip tightening on her arm. "To do what? Track them?"

"I can't tell you Lew, you have to understand that," she replied, her voice softening again. She didn't want to fight with him, not on the eve of her leaving. "Now please remove my arm. I have to get ready to leave."

Lew did as she asked, standing still and watching her as she walked off, leaving him alone.

* * *

Once safe in her quarters, Meg shut the door and leaned back against it, heaving a sigh.

_Her orders were simple. It was the same routine she'd been doing since the war started._

_It was 1940 and Meg had just turned 20. She had been doing missions since she had turned fifteen, but word soon reached her ear that Marco wanted her for something bigger and more important. Something special._

_The IIA had been alerted that some of Hitler's higher ups would be traveling to Paris for some sightseeing. The IIA had files on all of the German Generals, hoping something in them would eventually lead to a breakthrough._

_This was one of those times._

_Hitler's third in command, General Diederich, was known to have an eye for younger women. He was well in his 50s but the women always seen in his presence were much younger. The IIA realized that if they could get a girl that interested him, perhaps they could use her to get information from the top members of the German army._

_Meg and six other girls were chosen. The seven of them were smuggled_ _into Paris and dropped at a whorehouse owned by a member of the resistance. The owner, Lynette, had invited the German men to visit while on their trip, tempting them with young flesh, alcohol and cigars._

_Diederich was entranced by Meg immediately. He invited her to dinner and then escorted her to every event he attended while in Paris. He bought her fancy gowns and expensive jewelry, took her to museums and theaters, and treated her to the finest meals France had to offer._

_As was required for the mission, Meg only spoke in French. Diederich and the other Generals believed that, as a poor French slut, it was the only language she knew. As she sat politely and quietly at every event, she listened to everything they said to each other in German, looking for anything that would be of importance to give to the IIA._

_She found it humorous at first that these men would speak of such topics so openly in front of her. After she began to recognize their personalities, she began to realize why. They thought she was stupid. They thought she was a simple French whore who could never understand the ways of the world._

_So that's how she acted. She treated them to her best performance, acting ignorant to the war, playing that she could really care less about it all. They ate it up, chuckling at her stupidity and insulting her in German, thinking she didn't know what they were saying. Diederich would step in if the insults got too harsh, but Meg never let on that she knew what they were saying, chuckling along whenever everyone else did, even if it was at her expense._

_After the weekend of frivolity and rich entertainment, Meg returned to base, giving them everything she had heard that was useful._

_The mission was over._

_Or so she thought._

_Not even a month later they received word from Lynette that the Germans were coming back and General Diederich had written ahead specifically to request that Meg be kept ready for him. She had pleaded with Marco to tell them no, to give the General an excuse to why Meg was no longer there, but her pleas had been overlooked. This was big and the Allies weren't about to lose this opportunity because their agent was crying about it._

_So Meg returned to Paris, continuing her undercover work while being wined and dined like a princess._

_On the outside she continued to play the role of delighted, simple whore. On the inside she was dying._

_In public the General was affectionate, but in the privacy of his bedchambers, the man was rough and harsh. He wanted it done his way and he was going to get it done his way, whether it meant he had to beat Meg or not. Sometimes it was small things, like making too much noise or crying out. Other times it was worse, such as ignoring a demand or accidentally doing something else. Either way, Meg always left with marks of what she had endured: bruises and cuts, mostly hidden by her clothes. But even with them hidden, Adam knew they were still there._

_He tried to appeal to Marco, to tell him Meg didn't deserve this, but Meg was their best hope. She had made it into the inner circle. The General had taken a liking to her and they couldn't just send in another girl and hope he would feel the same about her._

_So Meg's missions continued. At first they were monthly, but as the war continued to intensify, the visits trickled off, much to her delight. After her incident in Berlin, Meg fell off the grid completely, ignoring the General's requests. Being in Level 3, she doubted Marco would have let her go anyway, even if he did want to keep the information coming in._

_Lynette told the General Meg had taken ill, but she couldn't push him off forever. She was back in the line of duty again, and if General Diederich wanted to see her, then by God Meg Myeroff wasn't going to disappoint._

"I wish you wouldn't," Adam said from where he was leaning against the wall. Meg had returned to their barracks and simply showed Adam the note, knowing it wouldn't need any further explanation. Now she was packing a small bag, just enough toiletries to get her through the trip.

"Why not? You didn't listen when I asked _you_ to stay here," she said as she looked up and locked eyes with him. Seeing his concerned face she smiled lightly, walking over to him. "I'll be careful, I promise. I always am."

"I know you are," Adam said with a sigh as he pulled her up and into a hug. "I just hate how you are when you come back. You've been doing so well lately; I don't want to see you fall into your shell again."

"No promises," Meg said with a cheeky grin before kissing her brother on the cheek and turning to head out the door.

* * *

It was a twelve hour trip to Paris and Meg spent most of it stuffed underneath crates and barrels in a fake German supply truck. When the truck pulled up to Lynette's at roughly 4 am, she sighed with contentment at the idea of a warm bed awaiting her.

Glancing outside, she smiled when she spotted the familiar face. Lynette was in her early 50s, hair already a good amount gray. Blonde strands stuck out here and there but for the most part it was the silvery color. Her blue eyes held just the right mixture of kindness and harshness, making it hard to tell how she was regarding you sometimes. As she walked forward and looked up at Meg's face, the agent was happy to note the blue looked kind tonight.

"You're early," Lynette said as she helped the exhausted girl out of the truck and into the house. Despite her statement, it was obvious the woman had been waiting up for their arrival.

"I wanted to get a good amount of sleep before my big performance," she said with a sleepy smile as she allowed Lynette to lead her to the room in the back. There, she collapsed on the bed and was breathing deeply almost immediately.

By three pm she was up and at 'em, sitting immersed in a bathtub of rose water as she scrubbed her fingernails clean. She was amazed with how much dirt had come off her when she had first climbed in. Obviously the showers at Aldbourne weren't doing much for her.

"Almost done?" Lynette asked as she strolled into the room, a tray of biscuits in her arms.

"Almost, but I am famished," Meg said, eyeing the biscuits longingly and reaching out a damp hand to try and grab one.

"Soon," Lynette replied as she set the tray down and then took a seat behind the tub, running her fingers through Meg's tresses. "Have you seen the dress yet?" she asked and Meg shook her head. "Well I was thinking we would put your hair up. That way he can look at your pretty neck."

"Anything you say," Meg said with a sigh as she sunk a little deeper into the tub, spilling water over the edge.

"Megan!" Lynette cried, causing the girl to sit up quickly. "Some of my girls haven't had a bath in days. If they see the water dripping along the floor they'll know I gave you one on your first night here."

"Sorry," Meg said as she stood up and climbed from the tub, wrapping herself in a fluffy white towel. While the relaxing bath had been a soothing, much appreciated treat, the enjoyment was ruined at the older woman's shout. Sitting at the vanity, Meg ran a comb through her hair before turning to Lynette expectantly.

"Let's make you gorgeous," Lynette said with a giddy smile as she pulled out a jar of bobby pins and set to work.

Two hours later Meg was standing in the floor-length mirror, smiling at the sight in front of her.

Lynette had pulled her hair back into an elegant chignon, letting soft curls frame her face and neck. The dress the General had sent her was a midnight blue, satin, floor-length sheath dress with a deep V in the front and back of the neckline. A diamond necklace draped across her neck, matching the earrings in her ears and bracelet on her wrist. As much as she hated the man, she loved how she felt when she put on what he had bought her. She was still a girl after all.

"Oh Lynette," she breathed just as a knock sounded on the door.

"The General is here Madam," the young door boy said before turning and bounding back down the hall.

That one simple phrase had Meg in chills. This was it, no turning back. Not that she'd ever turn back of course; once she was given a job, she saw it through. But whenever she met with the General, she always made a mental note when she could no longer turn back, just to remind herself.

Time to put on a good show.

"Come down in two minutes," Lynette said before turning and following in the direction the boy went.

As Meg continued to stare at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but wish that Lew would be the one seeing her instead of the General.

"Stop that," she said out loud, hoping no one would overhear her. "You can't think about him now, you have a job to do. Thinking about any of the paratroopers will only interfere with the job."

Taking a deep breath and considering herself ready, she turned and headed for the door, morphing herself into the alter ego she had created long ago.

Arriving at the top of the stairs, she paused as she looked down at the people below her. There was Lynette, looking up at her with a supportive smile, the young boy who answered the door, giving her a very bored look, and the General.

He was dressed in his usual military outfit, always looking exceptionally neat and pristine. Despite hating him, Meg had to admit that he was an attractive older man. His hair was slightly graying, giving him a more mature look.

"Vivian," he said, his German accent thick as he spoke her fake French name.

"General Diederich," she said as she descended the stairs, forcing her perfect French accent through. From here on out her French would have to be perfect. "How wonderful to see you again."

She strode forward and took his hands, placing a kiss on each cheek.

"You are looking well," the General said, his French sounding awkward with the German accent.

"I'm feeling well," she said with a smile. "Much better than I have been for the past year I must say. I was so disappointed when I heard I wouldn't be able to join you last spring."

"I was disappointed as well," the General said as he offered her his arm and they walked out to the waiting car, Meg sending Lynette a wave as they headed out the door. "I hope you enjoy the French ballet. That's where we are going tonight after dinner."

"I love the ballet," Meg said before giggling. Whenever she acted this foolishly, she wanted to hate herself. Still, she put on a good show. "Well, at least I imagine I do. I've never actually seen one," she added and the General smiled.

"You will like this one I am sure. It's very sophisticated, and it will all be in French. You may even have to translate for me for once," he said with a laugh.

* * *

Dinner was an interesting affair. Three other generals joined them, women on their arms as well. Meg quickly learned that one was a wife, and two were mistresses, like herself. While the wife spoke German, the two mistresses were also French. Meg hoped they wouldn't interfere with her mission at all; it would make things much difficult. Difficult and a complete waste of time.

At the beginning of dinner, the conversation stayed in French to include the three women out of unusual German respect. However, as the men consumed more alcohol and their lips became looser, the talk drifted into German and soon they were discussing war and politics.

It always shocked Meg with how easily they were able to speak about the things they did. If American or British Generals ever had these kinds of discussions in public, they would be shot. Nevertheless, she was pleased they were so eager to discuss things; it made it much easier on her. She sat there, quietly eating her meal as she strained her ears to pick up everything they said. Anything of importance she stored away until she could excuse herself to the powder room and write it all down. Her notepad was small and fit easily into the bottom of her shoe.

When Adam had first shown her the secret compartment in her shoes, she had thought it foolish. After using it twice, she had come to appreciate its usefulness. Whenever the General sent Meg a new pair of shoes, Lynette spent a good amount of time altering the soles so Meg could continue her trick.

When dinner finished, the eight of them took two cars to the Paris Opera House where they enjoyed a performance of Cinderella. Meg hated to admit it, but she enjoyed it a lot. She had always had a thing for ballets, and it had been quite a while since she had been to one.

As she watched the young couple dance across the stage, singing their hearts to each other, she couldn't stop her mind from drifting back to Aldbourne. The men she was so fond of would probably be getting ready for sleep now. They had to run drills in the morning, so their Monday nights were usually early.

When the General took her hand, Meg shut her eyes, wishing it was anyone but him. Images of a chuckling George, a smirking Lew, a winking Bill filled her head. She pretended she was back with them, enjoying their company instead of stuck here with the Germans. As the General's fingers began to stroke her's, she found herself thinking of London, of seeing _Song of Norway_ with Harry and Lew. The General's caresses nowhere compared to the ones Lew had given her and, despite her initial unease of it all, she suddenly wished she could be back with Lew again. So what if he was married? Being with him was better than being with the General. Besides, didn't she deserve to have some happiness?

It was this thought process that plagued her mind through the entire second act of the ballet. By the time the curtain was dropping, she had come to a decision. She wouldn't beat herself up over Lew anymore. That didn't mean she'd go running to him as soon as her feet touched British soil, but she was no longer going to feel guilty for their actions, or feel the need to avoid him. She had been through a lot in her life and she wasn't going to push away something good, even if it was only fleeting.

After walking down to the Opera House lobby, the couples headed back to the hotel where they said their goodbyes. This was the part Meg hated most about her job, and as they climbed the stairs to their room, she began the process of tuning everything out. At first it had been a hard task, trying to focus on anything except the General. Now it was second nature, and as they came closer and closer to the hotel room, her mind drifted farther and farther away.

They had barely made it into the room before the General's lips were on her's, his hands already roaming down to undo the zipper on the back of the dress. The touch of his fingers sent chills up and down her back. They weren't pleasant like the ones she got from Lew. These chills were terrified and disgusted.

Closing her eyes, she tried to play out a scenario in her head, one of her back in Aldbourne, teaching George how to polka. She saw the grin on his face as they spun around the room. She saw the boys over by the record player, laughing at the two of them dancing around the whole mess. She pictured Lew and Harry, standing in the doorway with wide smiles, obviously enjoying the show.

"Vivian," General Diederich whispered seductively in her ear.

Her happy scene vanished.

As the man continued to attack every part of her skin with kisses, she tried a new technique.

Closing her eyes again, this time she imagined it was Lew, not Diederich, who was holding her too tightly. It was Lew, not Deiderich that was stroking every part of her skin with his fingers. Lew, not Diederich that was slowly pulling her dress from her body.

The realization that she wanted it to be Lew startled her. Her eyes opened wide as she began to understand that maybe she wanted him more than she would admit.

"Get on the bed," Diederich 's voice said, a little stronger than it had sounded before. Before letting her comply, he grabbed both her arms and shoved her backwards, his demand more than obvious. Her dress, which had fallen to around her hips, caught on her heel and she fell, banging her head against the footboard of the bed.

As she cried out at the sharp pain, the General strode forward and yanked her up, pulling her dress down and off her body in one rough move, suddenly leaving Meg naked.

There was no time for modesty however, as she was already being pushed up onto the bed.

As the General climbed up on top of her, she closed her eyes tightly, thinking of anything but this.

* * *

The truck ride through France felt longer leaving than coming. Perhaps it was because all Meg wanted was to be away from the city of lights and closer to Aldbourne. Time seemed to always slow down when you wanted it to go faster. Whatever the reason, she had almost all of her notes written before they reached the plane that would fly her back to Aldbourne.

She was curious about the fact that she was returning straight to Aldbourne. Usually IIA wanted her to report to Base so she could give them her notes immediately for review. She knew not to question Marco though, so she didn't argue when the pilot informed her of their destination.

As the plane flew closer and closer to what she found herself now calling "home," Meg's tenseness disappeared slightly. She practically sighed with pleasure at the image of her own bed waiting for her. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep for eternity.

Little did she know her return was being anticipated by others as well.

* * *

200 miles away, in Aldbourne, Adam was searching for something.

Well, more like someones.

He found the group sitting in the mess, eating their lunches before their afternoon exercises. When he approached, the men raised their hands in greeting. They had certainly become friendlier to him since Meg had dragged him to the bar on Christmas. He noted the smiles on their faces at his arrival, but he kept his lips solemn.

This wasn't a happy visit.

"When's Meg gettin' back?" Bill asked as he stuffed a spoonful of potatoes in his mouth. Adam ignored the disgusting display and turned to address the group as a whole.

"Tonight. That's what I wanted to talk to you boys about," he said as he sat down, leaning in to show them it was important. In response they all stopped eating and leaned toward him as well. "Listen, when you guys see Meg, don't say anything alright?"

His request was an odd one to make, so frowns of confusion looked back at him.

"Say anything about what?" Joe asked but Adam cut him off. They didn't need to know the specifics. Besides, it was classified anyway. They just needed to know what specifically would affect them.

"You'll know what I mean when you see her, but just keep the greetings short. Don't ask her if she's alright, don't ask her how her trip was, and don't mention how she looks. Just tell her you missed her and you're glad she's back."

"Should we be worried?" George asked and Adam felt like he should be the one worried; he'd never seen George Luz with such a serious look on his face.

"No," Adam said with a shake of his head. "She'll be on her own a bit, but she'll be back to normal soon. These missions drain her, but I've never seen her as happy as she is here, so I know she'll bounce back quickly."

"Got it," Bill said and Adam nodded, showing his appreciation of their understanding.

"So when is she getting back?" Floyd asked and Adam shrugged.

"Sometime soon I'd say. It just depends on how difficult of a drive it was and if they got stopped on the way. She'll be here by tomorrow at the latest though." And saying a quick goodbye, he walked out of the mess and headed toward the officers' building.

He had to repeat his message to Lieutenant Nixon.

* * *

_Welll? What did you think? Meg sure has a lot of layers to her past doesn't she?_

_Anyway, I got SEVEN reviews last chapter! That's RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING! Thank you guys sooo much! Remember to review this time!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific - **__Sorry no major Joe and Meg scenes in this chapter haha. And I will read your Pacific story eventually, but I haven't actually seen the show yet so I think I should probably do that first ;) Plus, I still have to finish your other stories haha. Also, I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Hope you liked this one! Thanks for reviewing!_

_**IceColdInAlex - **__I loved your review! Seriously, it made me laugh so hard while also feeling so happy and blushing :) Thank you SOO much! Seriously though, you should probably stop gushing over me or my head won't fit through my bedroom door...haha_

_**onebyone - **__I'm glad you feel you can empathize with Meg. That's something I was hoping for so I'm glad it's come across well! And yeah, Nix really is a super tricky character. I hope I've gotten him down to everyone's expectations but it's really hard to convey what exactly he's feeling. Thanks for your review!_

_**LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX - **__I'm glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you liked more of the hints of her past in this chapter! _

_**caught-offsides - **__Sorry about the lack of kiss. It's coming soon though... I totally super promise! ;) And yeah, they'll work through it eventually. It just takes time haha. Such stubborn people lol Thanks for your review!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue - **__Glad you liked the Lew-tenant thing. I was worried people wouldn't get it but I thought it was too awesome to not include haha. And I'm glad you like her relationship with George. George is seriously one of my favorite characters so since he wasn't her romantic interest, I really wanted to make them close. And yeah, I watched the first 2 episodes of Homeland online (shhhh) but couldn't find a good link for the third. And I just looked at the library and I won't get the DVD for like, another month! GAHHH. Anyway, thanks for your review!_

_And to the _**_Guest_**_ who reviewed: Your review was seriously my highlight of the week. When I read it, I just pictured you sitting at this romantic table, scrolling through your phone while your hubby was all annoyed and frustrated, trying to catch the eye of the waiter to get your check haha. That whole scenario aside, your review was also the highlight of my week in every other way possible. Seriously, with all these reviews from people, my head won't even fit through the GARAGE door! Thank you so much for reviewing! If possible, sign in next time so I know who I'm thanking! But seriously, made my whole week. Seriously._


	14. Fingers On My Skin

_Well hey all! What's this? I'm posting EARLY!? well, 40 minutes early... (an hour and 10 min if you're going from when I posted last week hahahaha) I feel like these Thursdays are getting farther apart... It seems so long since I posted the last chapter!_

_I wish I had something exciting to tell you guys...but alas, my life this past week has been boring. Like, ridiculously boring._

_Oh! I got it! Funny story. So you know how last week I posted late and like, explained how I had forgotten to do review responses etc blah blah? Well, I posted the chapter, then Xed out of the internet and realized the Word document of the chapter I had uploaded was still open, so I closed out of that...and it asked me if I wanted to save changes. I was like "HOLY SHIT I DIDN'T UPLOAD THE EDITED CHAPTER!" So I had to then quickly reupload the chapter, add back in all my review responses, add in the page breaks etc, and post it as quickly as possible. Fun times...not._

_Anywho... I'm pretty sure a lot of you have been looking forward to this chapter so without further ado... :D_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

It was just after dinner when the jeep carrying Meg finally reached Aldbourne. It was a sight for sore eyes and she smiled to herself when she spotted the lights on in all the barracks. Sighing in contentment at the sight, Meg jumped from the jeep and, after a quick wave to the driver, headed to Colonel Sink's office to report in. Despite the fact that all she wanted to do was get out of the ridiculous clothes she was wearing, the Colonel would want to know she was back. Besides, she didn't want Marco to find out she was shirking her duties.

After taking one step into the building, Meg knew her brother had been hard at work. No one stared, no one asked questions, they all just nodded a hello and went back to work. A normal person would stare openly at the beaten up look she had, how could they not when it was so obvious? Adam must have warned them not to and she didn't know whether to feel grateful or annoyed at this.

"Colonel," she said as she stepped into his office.

Sink looked up and did a slight double take before clearing his throat.

"I see you're back," he said awkwardly and she nodded, feeling the tension rise. She wanted so much to cover the bruise over her eye with her hands but she knew that would draw more attention to it. So instead she pretended it wasn't there, standing up straighter so he wouldn't take more pity on her. Wasn't an agent supposed to be tough and composed at all times? She could play that role well; she was good at putting up a facade.

"Yes I'm back," she said formally. "I just wanted to check in with you before I retired to my quarters," she added and he nodded.

"Understood. It's good to have you back Myeroff."

Meg managed a forced smile before turning and heading out of the office, the only thought on her mind where to find a lighter so she could burn this dress. Despite feeling elegant in it hours before, now she just felt sleazy. The thought of it up in flames made her sadistically happy.

As she walked across the training yard and toward her bunk, she managed to bump into George.

She knew Adam had to have warned him, but that didn't stop her from feeling self-conscious as his eyes were drawn up to her black eye.

"Meg..." he said in a pitying tone. Then he seemed to snap out of it and a forced grin appeared on his face. "Good to have you back kiddo. Meals haven't been as fun without you."

"Well meals weren't as fun without you either," she said, feeling herself smile even though she knew he was just being polite. As it was in Colonel Sink's office, she felt the tension rising. These men may be able to put up a facade but she could tell they were uncomfortable about her injuries and they didn't know what to do about them. "I'm actually off to get out of these ridiculous clothes," she said, referring to the gown and fur coat. "I'll see you tomorrow yeah?"

"Sure sure, I'll save you a seat at breakfast," George said before turning and continuing on his way.

Alone again, Meg was soon walking through the door of their quarters, already eyeing her bed.

"Meg," Adam said, scrambling to his feet and hurrying over to her. Despite his warnings to the other men, he couldn't help but ask her if she was alright.

"I'm fine, just tired," she said, brushing it off. "What are you doing?" she asked, pointing to where his bag was packed on his bed. It looked suspiciously like he was leaving again and she briefly wondered where he would be going. Then she realized she was too tired to care and wished she hadn't said anything.

"Marco wants me to report to Base earlier than Thursday. That's why he sent you back here; he figured I could bring your notes with me."

Meg nodded in understanding as she handed over the sheets of paper. That was one less thing to worry about at least.

"When do you leave?" she asked, realizing her voice was coming out weak and raspy. She definitely needed sleep and she hoped Adam would realize it too.

"My orders were to head out as soon as you got back...so I guess now."

Normally, finding out her brother would be leaving her so soon after getting back would make her upset. Especially after a mission with the General. However in her current state all she could be bothered with was a small shrug and a nod. Walking forward, he placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled her in for a light hug.

"Make sure to ice everything so you're not sore. And rub ointment on the cuts. You may want to stop over and see the medics tomorrow. They-"

"I got it Adam," Meg said a little forcefully, annoyed at his babying. However in her tired state it came out as more of a frustrated whimper. "You just go get those papers to Marco. I got good stuff this time."

"Alright, hang in there kid," Adam said, giving her a loving look before turning and heading out into the night.

Meg turned to take in the room with a sigh. Walking over to the floor-length mirror in the corner, she dropped the large fur coat and took a good look at herself.

Along with the large black eye that was already starting to yellow, Meg had small bruises on her neck, bruises in the shape of hands on both arms, and from how it felt, bruises on her thighs as well. She also had a large cut on the back of her head from where she had hit it on the floorboard. Because it had bled on the pillows that night, the General had slapped her face, drawing blood across her cheek from his one ring. The cut that remained was thin and only an inch long, but it still added to her worn out look.

Looking in that mirror, what she saw hurt her even more. She knew she had inherited her mother's beautiful looks, and she knew the General wouldn't keep asking for her if he didn't find her attractive, but as she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt ugly. She hated how he did this to her, made her feel less than she was. She was stronger than this, and what other people thought never bothered her, so how come one day with the General could make her hate herself?

With a groan of frustration, she ripped the obnoxious diamond necklace from her neck and threw it to the ground where the clasps shattered, sending diamonds spinning across the floor. Still angry, she reached for the closest thing she could find, her wooden jewelry box, and chucked it at the mirror with a scream of frustration.

The mirror shattered, sending glass shards everywhere. She felt the pricks on her skin and knew she had added more cuts to her battle wounds, but at the moment she didn't care.

"Meg!?" a familiar voice shouted from outside and soon the door was thrown open. As two sets of boots rushed toward her from behind, she buried her face in her hands and let loose a sob.

"Go away," she mumbled through her fingers before another sob escaped her lips. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. Hell, she didn't even want Adam to see her like this. This Meg was weak, pathetic and vulnerable. If people saw her like this, they'd think she had gone back to the old Meg, the Meg who had spent a year in Level 3. She had changed and this was just a moment of weakness; she didn't want anyone to think she was relapsing.

She heard whispers exchanged before one set of boots retreated, the door slamming behind the owner.

Meg knew exactly who was still there, and as much as she had thought about him over the past 24 hours, she couldn't stand the idea of looking Lewis Nixon in the face in her condition. As he took a step to walk toward her front she spun, turning her body so her back was still to him.

"Meg," he said again, this time much softer. At the sound of his tone, she couldn't help but pull her face slowly from her hands, looking up at him with tear-stained cheeks. The look of anger that crossed his face at seeing her wounds made her turn away from him again.

"Please go away," she asked again, refusing to look at him. Why did her voice have to sound so weak? Why couldn't she muster up enough forcefulness to make him realize she didn't want to be anywhere near anyone right now?

"No," he said firmly and she stiffened at how angry he sounded. "I'm not leaving you like this."

"Please, I'm disappointed in myself enough for both of us," she said as she reached her hands up to swipe her fingers under her eyes. As she wiped away the tears, she heard him release a loud breath of air.

"You think I'm angry because I'm disappointed in you?" he asked, walking around so he was standing in front of her again. When she tried to turn away, his hands shot up to grab her upper arms firmly, keeping her facing him. "Jesus Christ Meg, nothing's farther from the truth. I'm angry because of what those bastards did to you."

His serious statement caught Meg off guard and she looked up at him with startled eyes. Instead of answering however, she pulled away and walked over to the shattered mirror, looking at herself in the remaining shards. There weren't many, she had done quite a number to the glass, but there were enough for her to see the ugly bruises. How could Lew not be disgusted with her? She was certainly disgusted with herself. Disgusted of what she had let the General do to her.

Thoughts of the General brought a fresh wave of distress over her and she sighed, hugging herself.

"I can't get the feel of him off of me," she said as she ran her hands up and down her arms. Never mind the fact that she shouldn't be speaking of the General to Lew. Never mind the fact that this was classified information and she could get in big trouble. Right now, she just felt the need to have someone understand. "I can still feel his fingers on my skin."

As she stood in the remnants of the mirror, Lew walked over and joined her, looking over her shoulder at her reflection. She jumped lightly when she suddenly felt his fingers begin to stroke up and down her arms gently; comfortingly.

It was the same thing the General had done the night before, but when Lew did it, the chills on her skin were from pleasure and excitement.

Closing her eyes, she let herself relax for the first time in hours, allowing herself to feel safe. This was Lew she was with, the man she had spent the last night thinking about to get her mind off the General. This was the man she had admitted she might care for as more than a friend. If she didn't feel safe with him, she'd never feel safe with anyone.

She jumped again when she felt his lips touch her shoulder. They stayed there for a few seconds before he dragged his lips down, continuing to place moist kisses along her skin. Keeping her eyes closed, she tilted her head back, sighing with pleasure. Thoughts of going to bed immediately left her mind, filling it with thoughts of contentment instead.

The General had certainly never made her feel like this. No man had ever made her feel like this. In fact, it was enough to make her forget about the General completely, something that usually took weeks.

In that moment, she was pleased with her decision to no longer avoid Lew's advances. If she hadn't already decided it, this moment would have done it. How would she have ever been able to resist this man, married or not?

Lew's lips traveled across her back and to her other shoulder, kissing down her arm and to the tips of each finger. Then he stopped, causing her to open her eyes. With a toss of his signature smirk, he continued, picking up her other arm and kissing up it, back to where he had started

Meg couldn't help the second sigh that released from her lips as Lew placed a final kiss on the top of her shoulder.

"Meg," he said again, and she could hear his voice was strained. She turned to look at him, startled by how deep his eyes seemed.

She had never wanted anybody as much as she wanted Lewis Nixon in that moment. However, despite her choice to give in to her feelings for him, she knew this wasn't the right time to do so. Her exhaustion was slowly returning and she needed sleep. Besides, she had just spent 24 hours of horror with the General. While 24 hours of pleasure with Lew would more than make up for it, she didn't know if they were ready for that yet. In her state of mind, she'd give in in a heartbeat, but a small part of her knew she might regret it in the morning.

"I should probably get some sleep," Meg said slowly and Lew nodded. Judging by his facial expression, pain mixed with a strong passion she had never seen on anyone before, she knew he was having the same thoughts. Now was not the right time to give in, no matter how much they both wanted it.

"Yeah," he said in a raspy voice before clearing his throat. "Yeah," he repeated more firmly, taking a step back. Immediately she wanted to reach out, to grab his wrist and pull him back to her; to never let him leave her again. It took so much strength to resist that she knew she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her last bit of strength was waning and she needed to rejuvenate.

Neither spoke again as he turned and headed to the door. Just as he was walking through it, she called his name, causing him to stop.

"Thank you," she said, a soft smile gracing her lips. Lew smiled in return before heading out the door, letting it shut behind him.

And again she was alone.

* * *

Despite George's promise to save Meg a seat at breakfast, she chose to spend the day locked away.

Her decision came after looking at herself in the shards of mirror.

The bruise around her eye was a faded, sickly-looking yellow, making her look jaundice. The bruises on the rest of her body were fading as well, but she felt more sore than she had the day before. She was pleased to see the cut on her face was disappearing slightly as well. She hadn't been able to look how deep it was so she was worried it might scar. From the looks of things, it seemed to be perfectly healing.

Despite the healing, she still didn't feel like facing the stares. There was no way Adam talked to every single paratrooper in Aldbourne and even if he had, not all of them would be able to handle themselves as well as Colonel Sink and George had. She didn't feel like dealing with all that; she'd rather be alone. Wrapping herself in a blanket, she curled up on her bed and pulled a book to her.

It was her old copy of _Gone With the Wind_. She had read the large book multiple times but she always felt the need to pick it up again after a tough mission. She knew Adam had bought her _Wuthering Heights_ so she had something new to read but for some reason Scarlett O'Hara always picked her up when she was down.

A knock on the door a little after noontime caused her to pause in her reading, calling for the visitor to come in. She had no idea who would be visiting her, and for a brief second she wondered if it would be Lew. That thought made her stomach drop. After last night, she was nervous to be around him again, even after reminding herself over and over that she wasn't going to let it bother her anymore.

She sat up straighter when she realized it was Dick. As he walked inside, she noticed he had a tea cup in his hands. As far as she knew, the American men weren't big tea drinkers. Then again, Dick didn't drink alcohol so he didn't exactly fall under the category of a normal Yank.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked with a smile, standing from her bed.

The realization of what she was doing shocked her. Usually after time with the General she would retreat within herself, too ashamed and embarrassed about what had happened to interact with people. She would be depressed and feel sorry for herself, refusing to open up to anyone, including Adam. Sure she had opened up to Lew the night before but she had chalked that one down as a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

However here she was giving Dick Winters a genuine smile. It was obvious being around these American men was healthy for her.

"I was just stopping by to bring you some tea. Don't you Limeys like tea?" Meg smirked at his teasing jest and nodded, reaching out to take the cup with hungry eyes. Tea was the cure for anything. "I also came to see if you were doing alright," Dick added, seeming slightly nervous as she paused and looked up at him. "You seemed pretty upset last night and I just wanted to make sure you were doing better."

"So you were the person who came in with Lew," she said with a nod. It made sense. However what didn't make sense was how much he seemed worried over her. Sure, she was friends with Dick, just like she was friends with most of Easy Company, but none of the others had stopped in to check on her. Even Lew seemed to be keeping his distance today.

"Yeah," Dick said, suddenly seeming more nervous. Meg didn't think it was possible but the man seemed to get shy about everything. "I left when you asked me to, but I still wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm doing much better thank you," she said, setting her book down permanently and walking forward. "Didn't Lew tell you I seemed better last night after he left?" Her question had an ulterior motive behind it. She wanted to know exactly how much Lew had told Dick; how much he had revealed about Meg's turmoil the night before.

At her question, Dick reached up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Actually Nix seemed to think you were far worse than fine. He wanted me to come check and-"

"Hold on," Meg said, cutting him off. "Lew sent you to come check on me?" she scoffed in disbelief. "He couldn't come do that for himself?" She had thought last night was a step in the right direction for them, but now here Dick was telling her that Lew had sent him to check. Was he making Dick do his dirty work?

"He didn't think he could restrain himself," was Dick's response and Meg frowned before letting lose a disbelieving scoff.

"Restrain himself? From what, being disgusted at how my bruises look in the daylight?" The realization that Lew might not be as good a man as she thought made her stomach drop. What kind of man had she fallen for?

She was about to go off on how infuriating Lewis Nixon could be when Dick cut her off with a shocking revelation.

"No, restrain himself from flying to Germany and paying your _friends_ a little visit."

Meg's eyes widened before her face became a confused frown.

"I don't understand," Meg said and Dick smiled, motioning for her to sit back down on the bed.

"He was pretty shaken up when he returned from here last night. I guess furious would be the correct word to use. I don't think he was completely serious, but I did have to tell him multiple times that going to Germany on his own was a pretty stupid idea. Not to mention basically impossible at this current moment in time."

Meg scoffed again, shaking her head.

"Why?" she asked, wondering why Lew would care so much.

Instead of answering, Dick just turned and headed back for the door.

"I think you can figure that one out on your own," he said before tipping his hat in farewell.

"Paratroopers are so frustrating," Meg said to herself after Dick had left.

* * *

"If there's one holiday I like better than Christmas, it's New Year's," Meg said as she sat in the office, helping David Webster sort mail. It was a punishment for an infraction that had occurred last week. He wouldn't tell Meg what it was but she thought it had something to do with skipping latrine duty.

Meg's bruises had healed nicely, now barely visible, especially when she covered them with a little makeup. She knew the men still saw them, but they were nice enough not to mention anything. It made things feel like they were back to normal. Almost.

"Why New Year's?" he asked, chuckling lightly as he grabbed another few envelopes to sort.

"I don't know," she admitted, pulling herself up to sit on the desk. "I suppose because I love snow, and holidays during winter are always so much more elegant."

"Elegant," he repeated, nodding his head in a teasing way. Obviously he thought her terminology was humorous.

"Oh don't laugh," she said as she reached for another envelope. "I thought you Harvard scholars were supposed to agree with romantic ideas."

David didn't give her a verbal response, instead shaking his head as he continued chuckling to himself.

"Hey Meg!" a voice called and she looked up to see Joe Toye and Bill walking in. Joe ran forward and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her up off the desk to spin her around before setting her on the floor. The move was so random and goofy that she couldn't help but giggle at Joe's actions. Sure it was stupid, but that was the type of things the Easy boys did that made her feel better about her life.

"So who's gonna be your New Year's kiss?" Bill asked and Meg just smiled coyly, shrugging.

"Whoever gets to me first," she said with a wink before turning her attention back to the letters. "Of course since I don't plan on going out or anything, you boys will have to find me."

"Where's the fun in that?" Joe asked and Meg looked him in the eye.

"Where's the fun in me getting trampled by 500 enlisted men when the clock strikes midnight?" she shot back and he nodded, giving her the point. "No, I'll be the first to admit I love New Year's but I prefer spending it in peace and quiet."

"I think that's how most of us are gonna spend it," Bill said. "This next year's gonna be a big one. Who knows if most of us will even see 1945."

"Bill don't say that," Meg scolded as she turned away from the letters to face her three Easy men. "I don't like when people talk like that." They could tell the statement had upset her and Bill instantly felt guilty.

David opened his mouth as if he was about to say something but Bill shook his head, causing him to stop.

"So Adam's gone?" Joe asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," Meg said, feeling herself daze out. "I'll probably be leaving again soon. Adam said we should expect to be spending less time in Aldbourne and more time... out there."

"I'm sure we'll all be out there soon," Bill said, walking forward and patting her on the shoulder as he walked past. "If I don't see you before, Happy New Year kid."

"Happy New Year Bill," Meg said, walking forward to give him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Then she turned and did the same to Joe. The two paratroopers nodded goodbye to David before disappearing back out the door.

"Hey where's mine?" David asked with a slight whine and Meg tapped him on the nose.

"I'm not leaving you yet. We still have tons of letters to do!" she scolded before the two of them got back to work.

* * *

A cup of tea and a good book sounded like a perfect idea to Meg. Definitely a perfect way to bring in the New Year quietly. Retiring to her quarters after dinner, she curled up on her bed and pulled out a new book Adam had left behind. It was in French but she figured it could help bring back her French reading skills. Besides, she had finished both _Gone With the Wind_ and _Wuthering Heights_ in the last week, what else was she supposed to read?

Her evening was quiet, just the way she liked it. When a group of men walked past her window singing Auld Lang Syne, Meg glanced over at her clock, realizing it was almost midnight.

When she was younger, Meg, Adam and their mother used to sit up on New Year's Eve and watch for any fireworks out the window. If the moon was a spectacular sight that year, they'd stare at it too. Most people celebrated the holiday by going out to be with their friends at lavish parties. The Myeroffs preferred to watch the partygoers from the comfort of their home; audience members to a sophisticated show.

That was what Meg missed the most. Sitting in the rocking chair with her mother as they watched the rest of the world ring in the New Year. Theirs had always been quiet, and that's how Meg liked to spend it.

Wrapping her blanket tighter around herself, she walked over to the front window and looked out, spotting the moon at half full. With a smile, she sat down on the tabletop and looked up, deciding there was no better way to ring in the New Year.

When the clock struck the first dong of midnight, Meg sighed, realizing the symbolism. This New Year would certainly be a big one for her.

Just as the clock struck its seventh dong, Meg heard a rushing sound outside and her door was thrown open. Standing up on impulse, she reached for anything to defend herself, panicking when she came up with nothing. Why did this always seem to happen?

"Meg," a familiar voice said firmly and she looked up, having just enough time to realize it was Lew before he was grabbing her face, crushing his lips down to her own.

It took her a moment to understand exactly what was happening but when she did, Meg couldn't help but sigh and bring her hands up to rest on his arms. Finally, after all their waiting and tension, their kiss was happening.

A brief thought of what Katharine would say entered her mind but Meg quickly shoved it away. She had told herself she wasn't going to do that, she wasn't going to beat herself up over something that seemed destined to happen. Right now she was just going to enjoy the feel of being in Lew's arms.

As the kiss continued, the forcefulness of Lew's lips waned a bit, backing off to become less harsh when he realized she was returning the kiss with just as much passion. The two pulled each other closer, arms wrapped tightly together as if they couldn't get enough of each other. With a gentle prod from Lew, Meg's mouth opened, allowing him to deepen the kiss as he brought his hand back to cradle her head, tangling his fingers in her hair tightly.

To Meg it felt like the kiss went on for hours. When they broke away however, she glanced at the clock and realized it was only 12:03. They stood there, panting softly as they looked at each other. Both seemed to be speechless, slightly shocked by what had just happened and by how perfect it had been.

"Happy New Year," Meg finally said, looking him in the eye with a slightly out of breath smile.

Lew chuckled as he brought his forehead down to rest against hers.

"Happy New Year Meg," he said before tilting his head and attaching his lips to hers once more.

* * *

_Ahhhhhh! Are you freaking out!? **I'm** freaking out! Review and tell me: are you freaking out!?_

_**LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX - **I'm glad you liked the chapter. And yeah, her mission does have adventure! I wanted people to realize Meg did more than just like, passing confidential notes etc. She plays a big role in what's going on. What did you think about Meg's thoughts on their relationship in this chapter? Thanks for reviewing!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific - **First, I'm going to read more of your story after I post this haha. I totally neglected it this week; I'm such a bad reviewer! Second, yeah I really liked writing Meg's past. It's dark, but it shows so much more of her. Thanks for your review! Hope you liked this chapter! (and the interaction with Joe ;) haha)_

_**SparkELee - **Sorry about having you worried lol. Hopefully this chapter was up at a good time for you haha. Feel free to PM me if you start getting frustrated with my lack of update. Maybe it'll force me to stick to the schedule more! And seriously, once again your review made my week. In fact, I was soo completely touched by your review that I broke down and told my mom about my story (she previously didn't know I had anything published online) JUST so I could read her your review! So now I must ask, what did you think of his reaction? Yay? Nay? I mean, he didn't completely find out what she had to do, but I have a feeling he knows to some extent. How can he not, right? Anyway, thanks for your always inspiring reviews! Hope you liked the chapter!_

_**caught-offsides - **Glad you liked the chapter! What did you think of this one? And yeah, I wanted to make sure people knew just how involved she is in everything. Don't worry, it'll get more intense at some point. Thanks for your review!_

_**IceColdInAlex - **Yeah, I'm pissed about the spelling errors haha. I was a newspaper editor for over a year, small typos make me furious, but too late now lol. That's what I get for posting so last minute! Yeah, I really want Meg to be a prominent part of all this so I'm glad it's obvious. And I know, a lot of female spies had to do that as their job. It's depressing to say, but back then that's pretty much all female spies could do. Anything else was considered out of character and would be suspicious. That's what I wanted to portray Meg as. She's so involved in her job and so dedicated to it, that she'd rather be a spy and do this than not be a spy, you know? And after this chapter, what were you saying about calm and collected? haha jk jk, but yeah, for the most part she holds it in pretty well...for the most part. Thanks for the review! I hope your writing and school went well!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue - **Yeah, Meg has a lot more layers to her than anyone realized I think (including the men of Easy.) She is a strong person, but I think this chapter also showed that she's just as vulnerable as anyone else. What did you think of her return home? did it meet your expectations? And yeah, my barn is fun. We've got goats, a horse, and rabbits. Fun times hahahaha, but sometimes they all get annoying. Like tonight I was cuddling with my horse and he hit me in the head with **his** head and now I have a huge bump on my forehead...NOT fun haha. Anyway, thanks for the review!_


	15. Just One Dance

_AHHH. Okay, so I know this is totally late... by like a half hour or so, but I have a legit reason! So I'm a hermit basically because all my friends have moved away and I spend my evenings alone with my family. Wow I feel pathetic when I write that out. Anyway, a friend of mine who was in town asked if I wanted to go see Perks of Being a Wallflower (GO SEE IT NOW) tonight so that's where I was. Thus why this was late. (Also I totally had this all typed up ahead of time because I knew I was going to be running late hahahaha._

_Anyway...I feel like there was something I wanted to tell you all here... what happened last week after I published that I wanted to tell you?...shit...Well, maybe I'll remember by the end of this chapter? Ugh, this is really gonna bug me now...I need to keep a notebook by my bed **just **for things I want to tell you guys haha_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

With January brought not only cold weather but also an increase in the war effort from all sides. Meg knew it was only a matter of time before she received her orders, and sure enough on January 5th she did.

It was a Wednesday and Meg was spending it practicing her map skills. Adam had written her a couple days prior to tell her that a majority of his job this time around required him to have a map at his side. Knowing she was a little rusty and not wanting to disappoint anyone, Meg spent hours in her quarters, pouring over maps of Europe. Besides, if Montgomery was as eager to have her help as he seemed to be, she didn't want to let him down most of all.

A knock on her door caused her to look up as Lew walked in, not even waiting for her to invite him inside.

The two hadn't had much time to talk after their New Year's kiss. It had continued for a while before Lew had stated he should return before Dick or Harry noticed he was missing. Since then, he had been busy at Battalion or in training, giving the two of them only short windows of time to be together. Meg would shyly admit that not a lot of talking had gone on in those brief moments. However, whenever they weren't together, her mind wandered back to their first kiss on New Year's.

Should she regret it? She didn't think so, and she certainly hoped she shouldn't. It had been amazing, that was all she could use to describe it. An amazing moment of passion that she would never forget for the rest of her life. But that didn't lessen her small amount of guilt at all.

Should she feel bad that she had been his New Year's kiss while Katharine was home wondering how he was fairing? Those thoughts had plagued her mind all day and it took all she had to push them away. If anyone should be worrying about Katharine, it was Lew. Meg wasn't about to bother herself with something he didn't seem to feel the need to worry about. She'd rather spend her time thinking about the man himself.

Seeing him before her now, she blushed as butterflies filled her stomach. Would they ever not do that?

"Morning," he said casually as he walked over to the table. "What're you doing?"

"Good morning," she replied her voice sounding cheerful and not revealing the inner turmoil that was going on. "I'm looking over maps of Europe."

Lew rolled his eyes before leaning over to put his hands on the edge of the table.

"I can see that. I meant why are you looking over maps of Europe?"

"I figure I better be prepared," she said with a shrug. "My map skills have gotten rusty and I want to make sure I'm in top form when my orders come."

"You mean these?" Lew asked, holding up an envelope. Meg reached forward to take it from him but Lew pulled his hand out of reach, smirking. "What, no reward for the mail carrier?" he asked and she rolled her eyes.

"What kind of reward? I'm not paying you to bring me my mail when I'm perfectly able to go get it myself."

"I don't mean money Meg," he teased before lifting his hand up to tap his lips expectantly.

So this was how it was going to be between them now? A romantic New Year's and now he was expecting kissing to become a regular thing between them? Still, she couldn't say she was disappointed in this so she stepped forward to give him what he wanted.

She felt Lew's smirk against her mouth as he returned her kiss hungrily, bringing both his arms to wrap around her waist.

"Alright alright," she finally said when she heard the sound of her letter crinkling in his hand, detaching her lips from his and prying herself out of his grip. "My letter if you please."

Lew handed it over reluctantly and Meg tore it open, ignoring his saddened face as her eyes skimmed the page.

"Well?" Lew asked after Meg had stayed silent for almost a minute.

"Nothing too exciting," she said as she read it again. "I'm to report back to Westminster next week and it's expected I'll be there for the next few months."

"Why send you to Aldbourne if they're just going to continue sending you other places?" Lew asked. "Don't they realize every time you leave it breaks our American hearts?"

"Oh shove off," Meg said with a smirk and a blush as she shoved his arm, walking past him to set her orders on the table. "Lew," she said softly, turning to look at him. "Will you visit me again? If you have a 48-hour pass I mean." The request was daring and she knew it. Still, she couldn't keep her mouth shut; she wanted him to say yes.

"When you're in Westminster? Of course. I don't plan on visiting you if you have to go back to occupied France again though. Too many Germans for my taste."

Meg smiled at his joke, glad he could find humor in her France situation. She had been worried it would be the elephant in the room, constantly making things awkward between them. She knew he was still upset at having to see her like that but joking about it meant he was doing a little better. She wondered if he'd joke about it if he knew what exactly her mission had involved. She didn't think he'd approve of what she was required to do with the General, and she didn't know how that made her feel. On the one hand, it was nice to know someone cared about you enough to get angry over something like that. On the other hand, it was frustrating that someone could claim to care about you, yet not let you do what you felt you had to do to protect your country.

"Well, let me know when you've got your pass so I know when to expect you," she said, walking over to take his hands in hers. "And as much as I love them, please don't bring Dick or Harry with you."

"Just me, got it," Lew said, gulping lightly when she stepped forward, tilting her head up to brush her lips across the bottom of his jaw. She hadn't seen this side of Lewis Nixon before: the nervous schoolboy. It was almost like he was wringing his hands over his first kiss. But if he wanted kissing to become a regular thing for them, she was more than willing to oblige. "I take it I should expect letters too?" he asked, trying and failing to stay focused on the conversation and not her lips making their way down his neck.

"Oh!" Meg said suddenly, rushing away from him and over to her desk. "I have something for you," she said as she walked over to the table and set the two sheets of paper down.

"What's that?" Lew asked, walking up to wrap his arms around her from behind. She smiled to herself as she felt his chest rise and fall against her back. It was comforting. A small voice in the back of her head was telling her they were moving too fast. The kissing and the hugging; it was too much too soon. Less than a week ago they weren't being openly affectionate with each other and now all of a sudden they were acting like a couple. She knew this was dangerous, but a larger part of her brain didn't care. For the past couple years, the only comfort she'd gotten from someone was Adam or the General. Did she even consider what she got from the General as comfort? She wasn't sure, but it felt good to be comforted by someone else for a change.

"It's Adam's and my code," Meg said, trying to ignore his breath on her neck as she set up the papers. "This sheet has the alphabet on it once. This one has it twice. When you send or receive a letter, it can be coded."

"I see, and how is it coded exactly?"

Meg smiled as she leaned over to show him.

"Adam and I always start with the sixth letter, so maybe it would be best if we did that too. The code switches with each line of text. For example," Meg started before pulling away and going back to her desk, pulling a letter out. "This is a letter Adam sent me when I was in Westminster."

Meg proceeded to show Lew the code she and her brother had invented. It was complicated, but it was necessary if you didn't want enemies to read your letters.

"I hope I understand this when I have to use it or I'm afraid all your letters will go unread," Lew said when she finished explaining. She laughed.

"You'll get it. Besides, if Adam stays with the 101st like he's supposed to, he can help you decipher them."

"Do you really want your brother reading your letters to me?" Lew asked, cocking his eyebrow at her. "Because I know I don't."

Meg blushed.

* * *

True to his word, Lew wrote to Meg at least twice a week when she was back in Westminster. She replied back just as enthusiastically, but her job kept her busier this time around. Montgomery was changing plans of the Operation and for some reason he felt Meg was the best one to help him with it. Not that she was complaining. It was nice to be appreciated and have someone recognize your abilities. The two spent many days discussing and debating this and that, causing many of the men to grow frustrated.

Meg wondered if they would be as annoyed if she were a man. After all, she assumed most of them didn't feel the position she held should be in the hands of a woman. "Girl" was the term she had heard whispered most often. She was roughly half the age of most of the men there and apparently they felt that an inadequate age to be involved in all this. No matter that she had years of experience as an agent and could probably outshoot all of them; no matter that she had probably been closer to a German than half the men in the room; she was a woman and therefore unfit for the role she had been put in.

It frustrated her. Day after day she put up with this ridicule, wondering when it would end and they would finally accept her.

She had voiced her thoughts to both Adam and Lew but neither seemed as concerned as her over the matter. In fact, if she was being completely honest with herself, she felt that both men agreed with the British officers to a degree. Sure, they both defended her honor and told her how unfortunate it was, but she knew deep down they both felt somewhat similarly.

Adam no doubt felt he should have been chosen in place of her. It hurt, because he knew what she had been through and he knew what she was capable of. Still, she knew he felt a small bit of annoyance and disappointment that she had been chosen for the assignment instead of him.

As far as Lew was concerned, she pegged his feelings down as just uninformed. Unlike Adam, Lew didn't know what she had been through all these years. Nor would he ever find out, for the safety of both her and him. For all she knew, Lew thought her agent duties went as far as spying from rafters and passing cryptic notes. If it hadn't been for their episode after her visit with the General, she knew he would never have guessed she was so close to the enemy.

With each letter, she pushed her annoyances further and further out of the picture. Both men sympathized with her, but it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted someone who supported her 150%.

So she wrote to Marco. She told him everything she had been going through with the group of officers and how it was making her feel. She told him about her sadness at the apparently lack of support from Adam and Lew, and how all she wanted was for them to recognize her as the powerful agent she was.

And as always, Marco wrote back singing her praises. Adam always asked her when they were younger if it annoyed her to read how much Marco cared for her. He had used the word "embarrassing" and even referenced wanting to vomit out of the sick sweetness in the words. Still, Meg always knew a letter from Marco could cheer her up. They never disappointed.

On the first of March, Meg got the letter she had been waiting for. Lew had a 48-hour pass for that coming weekend. As she read over his words, she suddenly became nervous. What exactly was she expecting to happen on his visit? What did she hope would happen?

Realizing her thoughts were less than innocent, she began to second guess herself, something she seemed to do whenever the Lieutenant was involved.

Was it appropriate to be having these thoughts about a married man? Of course not. But was it understandable? Completely. She was a grown woman who had spent most of her life risking her life for others. She had been unhappy for a very long time and she deserved something that would make her whole again. Still, she knew that something shouldn't be a married man.

Then again, Lew seemed perfectly willing to go along with the tryst. Shouldn't it be him worrying about it all, not her? After all it was his wife, his life that he was throwing away for Meg. She wasn't giving anything up, unless one counted her heart. However no matter how much she tried to convince herself of this, that nagging voice in the back of her mind kept pestering her about it.

"Stop it," she said under her breath, finally deciding that no matter what happened that weekend, it was for the best. She wasn't going to let anything get in the way of them spending some much-needed time together.

She knew it was silly of her, but as soon as she got off of work that evening, Meg headed to the nearest dress shop to find something new to wear. She hadn't seen Lew in a while and she wanted to remind him of what he was missing without her around Aldbourne. She couldn't be wearing a dress she'd worn around him multiple times already. It had to be someting exciting and new that would knock his socks off.

"Special occasion?" the owner of the shop said and Meg sighed. She _knew_ this was a foolish idea, especially with the rationing. Still, she wanted to impress the hell out of Lew. She wanted to make sure he didn't regret visiting her.

"A friend of mine is getting off on a 48-hour pass this weekend and I wanted to look my best," she explained, feeling very foolish.

"I have just the thing," the woman said with a knowing smile, pulling Meg over into a corner. "Just delivered from Southampton," the woman told her in reference to the dress they stopped in front of.

Looking at it, Meg grinned.

"It's perfect."

* * *

Lew was planning to get into London at suppertime that Friday. He had asked Meg to meet him at the train station and so there she stood, waiting for him bundled up in her winter coat. Despite it being March, the weather was still nippier than usual, something she wasn't too thrilled about. Winter coats made everything so much of a hassle. Underneath she had her new dress on and she hoped they would go out so he could appreciate her in it. He certainly wouldn't be seeing it if they stayed out in the cold.

"Meg!" she heard Lew call out and she turned to see him coming in the opposite direction from where she had been facing. A smile lit up her face as she hurried over and met him halfway, pulling him in for a hug. It felt like it had been forever since his arms had been around her. She had missed the feeling of security.

"It's so good to see you," she said before brushing off his shoulders. "And I can never get over how nicely you boys all look in your uniforms."

"We have to impress the ladies somehow," Lew told her before offering his arm. "So what's the plan for tonight? Anything exciting?"

"Oh," Meg said, growing silent as her smile fell. "I thought you would have had ideas of what you wanted to do, like last time when you and Harry visited." Suddenly she felt foolish. She was the hostess; she should have planned things to keep them occupied while he was here. It wasn't up to him to make the plans; he wasn't the one who was living in London.

"Well, we'll figure something out," Lew responded tugging her forward. "But first let's find something to eat. I'm starving."

He treated her to a fancy dinner at an elegant restaurant. As they walked through the front door, Meg silently thanked God that she'd bought and worn this new dress. The restaurant was decked out to the nines and, with Lew in his Class As beside her, anything less than her dress would have been unacceptable.

As they ate, Meg asked Lew to fill her in on all the boys back at Aldbourne. He did so, somewhat reluctantly, telling her she needed to pick between the boys and the officers, she couldn't have both.

"I can care about whomever I want to care about Lewis Nixon," Meg scolded before taking a sip of her wine. "Besides, I was friends with them before I was friends with you."

"Touché," the Lieutenant said, knocking his whiskey glass against hers. It was already his second whiskey of the night and if she knew him as well as she thought she did, he was sure to have his flask hidden in a pocket somewhere.

"Lew," Meg started, preparing herself to lecture him on his drinking habits. However when he locked eyes with her, she lost her nerve. "I'm really glad you came to visit."

"So am I," he said as he set his glass down and reached out to take her hand in his. Looking at their hands, she was quick to notice that he wasn't wearing his wedding band. Knowing better than to say anything about it though, she looked back up at him and smiled.

"Did you get a hotel room this time?" Meg asked. She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted his answer to be. If he said yes, they'd have to part ways soon and it would mean even less time spent together. If he said no however, that meant he was making the assumption he would be staying with her. That in turn meant he might be making the assumption about other things. Things she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about...

"Not yet," he said, his tone not giving away what his thoughts were on the subject.

"Well..." Meg began, bucking up the courage to speak her mind. "There's plenty of room where I'm staying, if we can sneak you in without anyone noticing."

Lew glanced at her, understanding exactly what she was saying. She was basically telling him he could stay with her, in her room, most likely on her bed. This was a big step for them and suddenly she wondered if she shouldn't have said anything. Her second thoughts reminded her that their first kiss had only happened two months ago, and since then they hadn't spent more than a few days together. Normal relationships between a man and woman didn't happen this quickly. Then again, this wasn't a normal relationship between them.

"I can be quiet," he replied, tossing her a wink. "Besides, we'll just stay out until the early hours of the morning and everyone else will be asleep anyway."

His argument seemed legitimate, so she smiled, clutching his arm tighter and resting her cheek against it as they walked.

After finishing dinner they decided to hit a local dancehall. Meg had been wanting to go but had no one to go with, unless you counted Captain Norris, which she didn't. With the perfect dance partner here, she found she couldn't resist the temptation.

"Just one dance," she pleaded a few minutes later, when Lew realized exactly where they were going. "I promise I'll buy you your next whiskey." She knew she shouldn't be supporting his bad habit but maybe she could convince the bartender to water it down a bit.

"I'm not gonna make you buy me a drink," Lew chuckled as he slowly gave in, putting up less and less resistance as they continued toward the entrance. "I'm just not sure I want to make a fool of myself in front of all these people."

"Lew," Meg said with a roll of her eyes, never letting go of his arm. "Firstly, you were a society-bred boy so I doubt your dancing is _that_ terrible. Second, you're never going to see any of these people ever again, so who cares what they think?"

He was about to argue against both points so she turned to him and batted her eyelashes.

"You won't even do it for me?"

He stared at her for a second, taking in the pathetic sight of her begging him to dance with her. Letting out a teasing groan of frustration, he nodded to the door, allowing her to pull him inside. Seeing he had conceded, a grin broke out on her face.

She felt like a child again, one who had been told her birthday was coming a week early. She knew she was being ridiculous, but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to have fun again, something her life had been missing since returning to London. Practically tossing her coat at the coat check, she pulled Lew out onto the floor, grinning wider when she recognized the song.

"I love this song!" she cried as she turned to him, taking his hands in hers. Seeing the excitement in her eyes, Lew gave in completely, taking her in his arms and swinging her around the floor. She thought about commenting on his impressive dance skills he seemed to have been hiding but thought better of it. She didn't want to tease him into leaving her on the dance floor.

They danced for what felt like hours, dancing to every beat of song imaginable. If Lew didn't know a dance, Meg taught it to him. She wasn't about to sit a single one out.

By the time they decided to call it a night, it was almost one in the morning. Grabbing their coats, they headed off down the road, back to Westminster.

"We have to be very quiet," Meg whispered as they walked arm in arm.

"Shhh," Lew scolded, his tone stating that he was not entirely sober. However Meg assumed he spent most of his nights at this level of intoxication so she didn't let it bother her. She'd worry about it later.

The two of them scurried across the street and up the front steps of the South Rotunda, coming to a stop outside the door.

"Alright remember, it's the third floor, fifth room on the right. Number 311," Meg whispered quickly, suddenly nervous that they might get caught. Although there were no rules against her having male visitors, and she certainly was old enough to make adult decisions, she didn't know how the British officers would feel if they heard about it. They already seemed to dislike her, she didn't need to give them more reason.

"Got it," Lew said, smirking as she pulled her arm away from him and walked into the building. After nodding to the clerk at the desk, she turned and trotted up the stairs, eager to get to her room before Lew entered the building.

Rushing inside, she pulled off her coat and threw it on a nearby chair, checking herself over in the mirror on the wall. She was attempting to fix some flyaways in her hair when a loud knock caused her to smirk and walk to the door, pausing before pulling it open.

"Hello," she said with a blush and Lew smirked, stepping in around her.

"Hello," he replied as she shut the door. "So this is your place huh?" he asked as he stepped in a slow circle, looking around them at the interior of the room. "Nice digs."

"Thank you," Meg replied, walking forward to stand by him.

Suddenly she felt awkward. What was he expecting now that they were in her room? To be completely honest, she wasn't quite sure what she was expecting. She knew what she secretly wanted to happen, but she knew it was both inappropriate and quite presumptuous to assume he wanted the same. Still

"Nice dress," Lew added, pulling Meg away from her worries. "Is it new? It looks good on you."

It frustrated her that he had waited until now to comment on the dress she had been wearing all night. Especially since she had bought it just for him. Still, she knew that from Lewis Nixon that was the best compliment she would get so she took it, smiling.

"Mhm I just bought it. The shopkeeper said it brought out my eyes."

"She was right," Lew said before stepping forward and slamming his lips against hers.

Meg felt herself go weak in the knees, taking hold of Lew's arms to keep herself from collapsing to the floor.

Heaven. Once again Meg felt like she was in heaven. Was this going to happen every time Lewis Nixon kissed her? Was she destined to feel this angelic bliss every time their lips touched? It was almost..._sinful_. Meg almost chuckled at the idea of heaven being sinful. Still, there was no other way she could describe what she was experiencing.

If someone had told her two years ago that all her sorrow and pain would be washed away, only to be replaced with happiness and pleasure, she would have laughed in their face. She had done a complete 180 since this time last year and she knew Lew was the reason. She hated to think where she would be if it weren't for him.

Smiling against his lips, she clutched his arms tighter, standing up on tiptoes to get a better angle to his mouth. Lew's left hand was trailing up and down her back while his right hand grasped her hip. One would think it was grasping her too tightly, Meg was sure it would bruise, but in fact it felt good to her. Unlike the General, Lew's firm grip only told her how much he wanted her with him. As much as she wanted him with her.

It didn't take long before she realized she wanted more of him. She wanted all of him. Letting go of his arms, she brought her hands up to the front of his jacket, beginning to unbutton the brass buttons. Now it was Lew's turn to smile against her mouth as he realized what she was doing. When she had the jacket undone, she slid it up and off his broad shoulders, letting it crumple at his feet behind them.

Lew made a noise of protest and attempted to pull his head away but she pulled him back.

"I have an iron," she said when she realized what he was about to say, barely letting their kiss stop. She pulled his suspenders off next, tugging his shirt up out of his pants. "Too many buttons," she said against his lips and he chuckled, letting go of her to help unbutton the shirt.

When that shirt was off, Meg almost groaned when she realized he still had his undershirt on. However Lew didn't seem too worried about that at the moment as he had moved his hands and was now trying to untie the sash at her lower back. After some struggling he succeeded, reaching up to pull her zipper down.

The noise of the zipper brought Meg back to reality, making her realize what exactly she was doing and who exactly she was doing it with.

What shocked her most was that she didn't care. She wanted this; needed this, and it had to be with Lew.

She couldn't remember the last time she had slept with someone that wasn't part of a mission. In fact, she had a feeling she hadn't actually slept with anyone who wasn't part of a mission. Her mind was a little hazy at the moment, but she was almost positive on that fact. And the only person who she had slept with in the last two years was the General.

She knew being with Lew would be _much_ different. Different and needed. After the past two years with the General, didn't she deserve this? Didn't she deserve the opportunity to be intimate with someone who wasn't a mission? Who didn't treat her so horribly that she wished it would end? She deserved to feel beautiful again.

For the first time in months, the thought of Lew's wife and the fact that he was married never once crossed her mind. More than likely she would scold herself about it later, but for now she was so enthralled by all of him that her mind wasn't able to focus on anything else.

Letting the fabric of the dress pool at her feet, she broke the kiss and stepped out of the circle, suddenly feeling very vulnerable in the lamp light.

"This isn't fair," she said softly, not knowing what else to say. Lew laughed and reached up to pull his undershirt off, leaving him almost as unclothed as she was.

The moonlight poured into the room, giving them perfect light to see each other. As Meg stood there, she felt his scrutinizing gaze. Seeming to notice something, he stepped forward and traced his fingers across an oblong scar on her side. When his eyes locked on hers, she knew he was silently asking her what it was.

"That bullet I mentioned at Christmas," she said and he sighed, looking from her face to the wound. Then he surprised her by dropping down on his knees and placing a kiss on the scar, repeating the action over and over until all of it had been touched by his lips.

Meg raked her fingers through his hair, closing her eyes at how wonderful it all felt. His lips left her skin and she jumped when she felt his fingers trace over her thigh.

"My second visit to occupied France," she said, knowing what he was asking. She had a five inch slice across her thigh, nothing left but scar tissue, from when the General had gotten angry with her one night. Lew bent over and placed kisses along it as well.

Reaching for her arm, he stood up, holding out her wrist. She smirked when she saw the scar he was referring to.

"Jumping on the bed when I was six," she said and he let out a loud laugh before lifting her wrist to his mouth and kissing it as well.

"You're more trouble than you're worth," he said before picking her up in a basket hold and carrying her over to the bed. "But I think you're beautiful."

Meg smiled a true, genuine, happy smile as Lew lay her down and hovered above her, taking her all in with his eyes. His dog tags hung down and bumped against her skin, causing her to look at them. She smiled when she saw her ring still hanging with them. Reaching out to touch it, she looked up to lock eyes with him.

"Lew," she whispered softly, wrapping her hand around the chain and pulling him down to her. "Please."

It was a one-worded question but he knew what she was asking, and he was definitely going to fulfill her request.

* * *

_Well? Yay? Nay?_

_Side note, I TOTALLY have a scar on my wrist from jumping on the bed. I was 11 though. Moral of the story? Our parents were right: you can get hurt jumping on the bed._

_Double side note: still don't remember what I wanted to tell you guys. You know what's going to happen? As SOON as I hit post, I'm going to remember, then I'm going to have to wait a **whole** other week again. This ALWAYS happens to me. Always._

**_caught-offsides -_**_ Yay I'm glad you liked it! And if you liked the kiss, what did you think of this one? Haha thanks for the review!_

**_LovingBOBThePacific - _**_You're welcome for the reviews. Thank you for yours! And I listened to Captain Spiers: here's the update! I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry there's no Joe haha._

_**LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX** - I'm SOOO excited Skyfall makes you think of my story because I LOVE that song! I can't wait for that movie either haha. And yeah, what did you think of the progression of their relationship in this chapter? And don't worry, the war's coming up soon...Well, it's going on right now obvi, but their involvement is coming up soon haha. Thanks for the review!_

**_SparkELee - _**_Okay seriously, you need to stop. I think I read each of your reviews like, 5 times because they make me feel so good about my writing. I keep telling you my head's not going to fit through the door but this time I'm 100% serious. That was the most amazing, heartfelt, wonderful review I have ever gotten in my life and I don't even know what to say in response to it. I'm honestly, literally speechless. (Also my roomie/editor thinks you're awesome just because of your tattoo hahahaha) And in regards to your question: yes I have. I actually have about 150 (maybe 200 now, idk) stories on my computer that are in various stages of unfinishedness. I have an idea in my head that I think might actually turn into something good. I've written the first chapter but I'm toying around with some ideas etc. I'll let you know when/if I post the first chapter over on Fictionpress. And of course, although I think my response has said it more than enough haha, thank you very much for your review. Seriously. You say you sit around and wait for me to post the next chapter on Thursdays. On Fridays I sit around at work and wait for my phone to go off telling me you posted your review hahahaha. What a great relationship we have!_

**_IceColdInAlex - _**_I'm glad you felt that way about the boys' presence in the chapter. That's exactly what I was going for. Meg didn't necessarily need the boys there to talk to etc. She's obviously more of a "keep it all to myself" kind of girl. She needs them to be around so she knows she's loved and cared for. And that's what I tried to portray in the boys so I'm glad you got that. Thanks for your review! Let me know what you thought of all this!_

**_paintmyworlddarkblue - _**_Exactly. I wanted her relationships with the boys to be special. I mean, I'm not going to go and say they're all besties with her etc, but she is the only girl around so I'm sure there's that male instinct to want to protect her and care for her to some extent. That's what I think they all kinda do. And yeah, my horse is ridic. I post pics of him on my Twitter sometimes (I think...haha). I went riding this past weekend for the first time in a LOOONG time and my legs are so ridiculously sore STILL. It's not even funny. Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	16. The Right Conclusions

_Another chapter yo!_

_So, I'm shocked I got this up in time! Well...not really shocked. I could NEVER not post hahaha. More like, impressed? I'm going back to school for Homecoming this weekend and the anticipation and excitement in getting ready is like, killing me. I haven't seen most of these people since graduation so obvi I want to look my best. Also, it's Halloween weekend so my costume has to be AMAZING. Although NOTHING can beat my costume senior year haha. I took a box and drew two dresser drawers on the front. Then I attached string so I could wear it. I wore around a lampshade on my head (I wonder where that went...) and went as a..._

_one night stand. Get it? I was a nightstand... but it had a double meaning haha. I also wore a dangly earring on one ear and went around to everyone going "I'm a one nightstand, wanna turn me on?" hahaha I was a genius back then!_

_Anyway, enough of my ridiculous life haha. On with the chapter!_

_Omg really quick side note. Yesterday my dad told me he had a present for me. This is the man who went to Subway alone for lunch one day and bought himself a kid's meal so he could get the Frankenweenie glow in the dark lunch bag. I kid you not. Anyway, I didn't have high expectations for this present, so I walk in the house and VOIILA! A typewriter! But not just any typewriter! If my research is correct, it's a Royal typewriter from the 1920s! I was STOKED because I told my parents I wanted one for Christmas this year and they kinda laughed at me like I was ridic. Needless to say, I'm still super excited and speechless and telling EVERYONE I can haha._

_Wow, longest note ever. NOW here's the chapter..._

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Meg had always loved sunrises. Whenever a mission had seemed hopeless or something bad had happened, she'd wake up early to watch the sunrise. As she would stand there, gazing at the beautiful image of orange, red and yellow, she would feel at peace. She knew everything would turn out alright.

Now she stood there, looking out her room's large windows, watching the sun come up. She hadn't been able to find her bathrobe and her dress was too much trouble to put back on, so instead she had slid into Lew's undershirt, taking in the musky smell of him on the fabric.

It gave her a comforting feeling, similar to how it felt to be wrapped in his arms. The shirt barely covered her thighs, but it gave her a relaxed feel that she found enjoyable. Hoping he wouldn't think her foolish, she pulled the collar up around her face to take in the smell again.

Last night had been so wonderful, she still had butterflies thinking about it. It had been everything she'd expected and then some. Lew was a perfect lover, the perfect mixture of gentle and rough to make her toes curl. And they had curled plenty of times throughout the night. Now when she looked at the sunrise, she had a different reason to admire it.

The morning had never seemed so amazing.

Looking over at the clock, she sighed when she saw that it read 6:45. If she knew Lew as well as she thought she did, he wouldn't be waking up for another few hours.

Glancing over at the man in question she smirked. He was lying on his stomach, stretched out across the whole bed. The sheets had slid down to his hips, allowing her the pleasure of admiring his muscular back.

Paratrooper training had done him well.

Tearing her eyes away from his figure, she turned back to the window, her smile falling when she realized the sunrise had ended; the sun was now just a golden orb in the sky. Even the clouds had returned to their usual whiteness.

Walking through the room, she stopped when she found the rest of Lew's uniform on the ground. Feeling very much like the mother of a small child, she picked the pants, shirt and jacket up and carried them over to where the iron was stored.

She had to do something to occupy herself and keep from jumping the sleeping man in her bed. Although he had seemed completely enthusiastic the night before, she wasn't sure how he would take to being woken up so early, even if it was to continue their actions of last night.

When Big Ben struck eight, Meg knew she couldn't stand it any longer. Setting down the paperwork she had been reading over for her Monday meeting, she walked to the bed and crawled across it, leaning down to begin placing kisses along Lew's naked shoulders.

"Mmmm," he mumbled and she smiled, continuing her ministrations until she had completely covered his back in kisses from shoulder blade to shoulder blade.

Slowly, Lew's arm reached up and he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her down on her back onto the bed next to him.

"Good morning," she said chipperly and he squinted one eye open before closing it again. Clearly he wasn't a morning person, something Meg knew but had only experienced once prior to this.

"It is," he said before leaning over to kiss her, never opening his eyes. She returned it quickly before pulling back.

"I've been up since 6:30," she said and in response he opened both eyes and grinned.

"I guess I didn't do too good of a job last night then, if you were rested enough to wake up at 6:30."

"Lew," she scolded, feeling herself blush at his highly inappropriate statement. The faint color spread across her cheeks and down her neck, disappearing under the collar of…

"Are you wearing my shirt?" Lew asked, ignoring her scolding and looking down at the fabric on her body.

"Mhm. I didn't want to take the effort to put my dress back on," she said and then she jumped when Lew's rough hands dropped to where the shirt ended just below her hips, his fingers brushing against her bare skin. With an evil grin in her direction, he slid his hands up, bringing the shirt up with them. At the feel of his hands on her sides, goose bumps covered her skin from head to toe.

"This is easier to take off than your dress," he informed her before turning his focus on what the shirt was revealing as his hands pushed it higher.

"Lew, aren't you hungry?" Meg asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. It was daylight; there were no shadows to hide anything.

"Very," he said as he discarded the shirt and dropped his head to suck on her breast. Meg sighed, first out of annoyance, then out of pleasure.

"Lew," she said again, but this time it came out as more of a strained whimper. Damn him and the things he did to her. She felt his lips smirk against her skin, trying and failing to act annoyed at his reaction to her response. When Lew's hands began roaming on their own, she knew she had lost the battle.

For now.

* * *

"Jesus Christ it's only 9:40?" Lew asked as Meg nestled closer in his arms, resting her head against his chest. "You know if I had taken my 48-hour pass on my own, I'd still be asleep."

"Sorry," Meg said, not actually being sorry at all. Deep down, she knew he wasn't either. Not in the least.

"The things I do for you woman," he teased, bringing his hand up to stroke it through her hair casually, causing her to snuggle her face up into the crook of his neck, placing a soft kiss there and smiling when he made a low, guttural noise in response.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Meg asked lazily, enjoying the rise and fall of his breathing against her cheek.

"You'll cook for me too? I am a lucky man," he said and she sat up, slapping his stomach lightly and making him chuckle in mock pain.

"Of course not. Do you see a kitchen anywhere in here? I meant where do you want to go for breakfast?"

"Where do you usually go for breakfast?" Lew asked, his eyes focusing lower than her face as his hand began to draw gentle circles across her chest.

She felt an involuntary shiver travel down her spine and once again cursed her body for giving in when her mind knew she shouldn't. Using all her will power, she focused all her attention onto the task at hand: breakfast.

"Well, normally I just have breakfast down in the cafe but maybe we should go somewhere else."

"Embarrassed of me?" Lew smirked at her and Meg quickly shook her head, her mind screaming at her that she was lying.

"No, I just don't want people to jump to conclusions." Her mind screamed louder.

"You don't want people to jump to the right conclusions?" Lew asked, cocking one eyebrow at her expectantly.

Meg knew he was mocking her, but he didn't realize how close to home he was hitting. She had refused to think about the consequences of everything last night but there was no denying it now; they were both in big trouble. Lew had committed adultery and Meg had knowingly been the other woman. Neither of them was in God's good graces this morning.

Which was why Lew's statement annoyed and hurt her. He was voicing all of the fears in her head. If people saw them together, they _would_ jump to conclusions. Conclusions that she and Lew were an item; perhaps even conclusions that she and Lew were married. While the thought was appealing to the girlish side of her, the rational side told her it was stupid. Being seen in public with a married man, even if you were thousands of miles away from his wife, was dangerous. Why couldn't Lew see that? Did he not care? Reaching over to grab the discarded shirt off the floor, she yanked it over her head. She had to get away. She had to think.

"Meg," Lew pleaded but she ignored him, jumping from the bed.

"I need to take a shower," she said quickly. "I ironed your clothes and hung them over there."

And before he could say anything else, she shut the door of the bathroom behind her.

She didn't know why she was so annoyed with his comments. If she was being completely honest, it was rather silly to be worried about people's opinions. She knew none of those people down there would actually know Lew was married, but she knew; and she knew that the image of them whispering, the thought of them calling her a whore would make her too paranoid to face them.

As the hot water trickled over her skin, she tried to let these worries disappear down the drain with it. But for once, she just couldn't make herself feel any better about the situation.

What had they done? Why had they both agreed to this dangerous situation? If anyone had asked Meg years ago whether she would see herself becoming involved in a scandalous affair, her answer would have been a firm no. What would Marco think? What would Christian have thought?

"Don't think about him," she said to herself as she closed her eyes, pushing her face forward under the spray of water.

When she emerged from the bathroom 20 minutes later, her heart fell slightly at the sight of Lew sitting on the bed, wearing only his trousers and undershirt, head between his hands. When he heard her come out, he looked up, standing up.

"Meg," he started, taking a step forward.

"Maybe we should just order in," Meg suggested, looking down at the floor. Lew actually laughed lightly as he stopped in front of her, taking her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a forced smile on his face as he caught her eye.

"I feel like they all know," Meg whispered and now Lew frowned.

"Know what Meg?"

"Know that you're married...and not to me," she said and he sighed, taking one hand away from her face to run it down the front of his own. So here it was, the elephant in their relationship.

"Meg," he said for probably the fourth time that morning. "They don't alright? None of them out there know what's going on in here. And even if they did, it wouldn't matter," he added and she frowned up at him.

"It wouldn't?" she asked, shocked that he would say that. If people talked, it wouldn't just be about her. Gossip would start about him being an adulterer. In fact, the gossip might even be worse for him. She was a nobody; he was Lewis Nixon.

He smiled at her, shaking his head.

"Not at all. Now come on, what are we doing for breakfast?"

* * *

They settled on going to a small local bakery Meg had found during her first week in London. It was too chilly to sit outside so they opted to sit by the window, watching all the people walk by as they ate their breakfast.

"What do you want to do today?" Meg asked as she took a sip of her tea.

"I have a few ideas," Lew said and from his tone Meg knew exactly what he meant.

She blushed and responded by drinking another gulp of tea. This was bold conversation to be having in public.

"So is that a yes?" Lew asked, teasing her slightly.

"What about lunch? And dinner? We have to eat you know," she said instead of rewarding him with an answer. Of course she'd enjoy his idea very much, but someone in this relationship had to be the rational one.

Relationship? Meg shook her head to rid those thoughts. She was not about to stress herself with this again, especially in public.

"We'll order room service," Lew continued and Meg knew he was set on his decision. "You know the only reason I even got out of bed this morning was because you were throwing such a fit I had to prove you wrong."

Meg rolled her eyes as the two finished and stood up, heading back out into the busy street. Immediately he offered her his arm and she smiled, wrapping both arms around his and cuddling up against his shoulder.

"Want to catch a movie? I'm sure they've got better ones here than what the USO provides us," Lew suggested as they walked. "I bet they'll be newer anyway."

"Alright," Meg said, tugging him toward the cinema. Although the building didn't have a marquis to tell what they were showing, Meg could just barely make out movie posters on the windows. They were too far away to see them however, so she began to head determinedly in that direction.

"Hey Nix!" a familiar voice suddenly shouted and they both stopped and turned. Out of instinct, Meg dropped his arm and composed herself.

Looking to the man that had spoken, Meg's stomach dropped when she realized it was Captain Norris. He was walking their way, a large grin on his face. Meg saw a look of recognition flash across Lew's face before he strode forward and met the man in a handshake.

"Rog!" he said, "What're you doing in London?"

"I'm stationed here working with General Montgomery. What are you doing in London?" Roger asked before noticing the patch on Lew's hat. "I heard you'd become a paratrooper. Fancy that huh?"

"Yeah," Lew chuckled and Meg could tell he was starting to feel uncomfortable. She was as well. Roger knew who she was, and apparently he knew who Lew was too. This was exactly what she had been afraid of, someone finding out what was happening between the two of them. This was dangerous.

"Miss Myeroff?" Roger suddenly asked, causing Meg to jump. She had hoped she would go unnoticed. "You know Nix?"

"Yeah she does," Lew cut in quickly, seeming to suddenly realize what was happening. "She and her brother were stationed at Aldbourne with us before she transferred. We just ran into each other on a complete coincidence and were going to catch a movie."

Meg tried not to scowl. He was giving more explanation than needed. That was one thing she had learned at the IIAA. When giving a cover story, don't give too much detail unless specifically asked. Otherwise, it looks like you're trying to hide something.

"What a small world isn't it?" Roger asked, his tone seeming to be laced with a hint of sarcasm. It was apparent he was teasing the two of them but Meg wasn't about to rise to the bait.

"Quite," she answered shortly, feeling her nerves rise. They needed to get out of there.

"How's Katharine doing?" Roger suddenly asked and Meg held back the urge to sigh at her rotten luck.

"Uh, she's alright," Lew responded, his own nervousness completely obvious. "Spending a lot of her time at the Ladies Auxiliary in town."

"And you had a son didn't you?" Roger continued to prod and Meg wondered if this was God's punishment for what had transpired last night. It certainly felt like it.

"Yeah, Charles. He just turned one."

"Pity you couldn't get a longer break to go back to the states and see them," Roger commented and Meg felt like closing her eyes in shame. All she wanted to do right then was crawl into a dark hole, curl up, and die.

"Yeah," was all Lew answered before glancing around. "We should probably be heading to the movie," he said, sticking his hand out to shake Roger's again. "But hey, it was great seeing you Rog. Maybe I'll run into you when we get over there."

The two men shared a forced chuckle before tipping their hats and heading in opposite directions. Lew took Meg's arm, leading her in the direction of the theater somewhat roughly.

Roger wasn't stupid. Meg knew this, and she was pretty sure he had seen right through Lew's excuse. No doubt he was already constructing what to say in a letter to Katharine, telling her that he had run into her husband and another woman.

"Lew," Meg said under her breath, wincing slightly as Lew's pressure on her arm increased. "Lew I want to go back to my room."

"Huh?" Lew asked, coming to a stop and making her realize he hadn't heard a word she said. Apparently she wasn't the only one who had been so affected by the exchange.

"I said I want to go back to my room," she repeated, feeling herself begin to shake. Lew nodded distractedly, before they both turned and headed back to the South Rotunda.

When they walked through the door to her room, Meg felt her composure finally falling away. Feeling the tears pour from her eyes, she hurried into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her.

How could she have been so stupid? How could she have let this happen? She was an agent, for Christ's sake! She was supposed to be smarter than this. Smart enough to know not to walk around in public with a married man. Smart enough to know not to get involved with a married man in the first place.

They should end it. The rational part of Meg's brain told her that was the only thing they could do now. They had to admit they were wrong, that they had made a mistake, and part ways.

"Meg?" Lew's voice called, the vibration of the wood making her realize he was leaning against the door just like her.

"Please just leave me alone," she sobbed and she heard Lew groan.

"Meg, open the door or I'll open it for you."

"You'll break it down," she said, knowing that wouldn't stop him if he really wanted to get in.

"So? It's not my room," he said and she sighed, reaching over to unlock the knob. She stepped back up against the counter as the door slowly swung open and Lew walked in, looking apologetic.

"Please don't say anything," Meg whispered as she frantically tried to wipe the tears from under her eyes. The action proved pointless though, as new tears continued to fall in their place.

"Listen to me," Lew said calmly, walking forward to stand in front of her and stopping her hands, using his own thumbs to wipe her tears. "You listening?" he asked and she nodded mutely. "I haven't seen Roger in years alright? Not since we graduated from high school back in '36. We're not close okay?"

"So?" Meg asked, feeling the tears start a fresh wave. "I see Roger every day. We're working together with General Montgomery for Christ's sake! He's the one I tried to avoid all those months ago when you and Harry came to visit."

Lew seemed startled by this information but Meg continued, ignoring him.

"You and I both know how the gossip mill works. He'll tell one person what he saw and they'll tell another, and another, and somewhere along the line facts will change and next thing you know people will be saying we're married or worse."

Normally the idea of people thinking she and Lew were married wouldn't bother her. Especially when she was so afraid they'd know he was married to someone else. However the thought of Katharine getting wind that her husband had married someone else, even if it was false, terrified her. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Katharine would have every right to be furious with Meg.

"If that happens, then you let me deal with it," Lew said, tilting her chin up so she was looking at him. "This was more my fault than yours alright? I'm the one who pushed this and like hell am I going to stop it just because of the possibility of gossip."

"But Katharine..." Meg choked out. "Your family... your reputation will be ruined."

"Do you think I give a damn about my reputation?" Lew asked with a sarcastic snort. "If I did then I would have been fucked a long time ago." He didn't seem to notice his filter had gone lose. Meg wondered if she was about to hear a stream of obscenities fly from his lips. She braced herself as he continued. "And none of this is worth your tears because-" he cut off suddenly, as if he was just realizing something. His eyes grew wide and his jaw went slack as he stood up straight, pulling away from her.

"Because why Lew?" Meg asked after a few seconds had gone by, wanting to know why none of their worry was worth it.

Lew ran a hand down his face, heaving out a loud sigh.

"Shit Meg, I think I'm in love with you."

* * *

"You what?" Meg asked with a gasp, feeling a little faint. Lew looked up at her with a guilty grin.

"I'm in love with you," he repeated, this time with more confidence.

Meg knew it was crazy. She knew she should be questioning his feelings and hers; that she should be scolding him for what he had admitted. She should be telling him it was wrong, that not only could he not be in love with her this quickly, but he was married to someone else.

In fact, she had been just about to tell him what a mistake they had made. What were they thinking, to do what they had done the night before; to do any of the flirtatious behavior they had done in the past few months? They were both in deep, and they were both being stupid. She had been so close to telling him they should end it all; that they should both go back to their normal lives and forget about each other.

Instead she simply flew forward, throwing her arms around his neck and attaching her lips to his.

She was tired. She was tired of trying to justify what they did. She was tired of trying to force herself away from him. She was tired of forcing herself to be comfortable giving into him. All she wanted to do was give in to _everything _and just be herself.

All that mattered right then was them.

As they kissed, Lew frantically tried to undo the back of her dress, both of them wincing when they heard the loud rip of fabric.

"Sorry," Lew said but Meg shook her head, bringing his mouth back to hers. She had more important things to worry about. Besides, it was an older dress, she probably needed to get rid of it anyway.

When her dress was finally off her, Lew hoisted her up onto the bathroom counter, bringing her to level height with him. As she sat there, she began the long task of unbuttoning all his buttons.

She sighed in contentment when Lew reached up and began undoing all her bobby pins, his fingers running smoothly against her scalp as he buried them in her hair.

As Meg unbuttoned his last button, Lew pulled loose her last bobby pin, sending her hair cascading down her back in a soft brown waterfall. He buried his face in it, breathing it in before placing searing kisses on her neck.

Meg sighed again as she reached down to begin undoing his trousers. When they were both down to their underwear, he lifted her up in his strong arms, her legs wrapping around his waist of their own accord.

It was only a short walk from the bathroom to the bed but when they arrived, they stood there like that, Lew holding Meg up around him as they continued to kiss, both too enthralled to worry about lying down on the bed.

When Lew's lips stopped moving, Meg opened her eyes and glanced at him, concerned when she saw the twinkle in his own eyes looking back at her. Before she had time to react, he tossed her through the air, sending her to bounce on the bed with a loud shriek.

He laughed as he joined her, the two sinking into the mattress as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Lew," Meg whispered some time later as they both lay there diagonally on the bed, sheets and pillows strewn around them.

"Hm?" he asked, his eyes closed as he stroked her arm gently.

"I'm in love with you too," she said, tilting her face up to see his reaction. She had spoken it softly, almost as if she was afraid to tell him. She had never spoken those words to anyone other than family before and it was an odd feeling to tell it to someone romantically. It took a lot for her to put that out there; she was so used to keeping to herself.

Lew opened his eyes and looked down at her, the smile that stretched across his face one of the few genuine ones she had seen.

Right then all that mattered was them. There was no Roger Norris. There was no Katharine. At that moment, neither Meg nor Lew had obligations to anyone but each other and Meg wasn't about to change that.

She'd worry about it all later.

* * *

_OMG say what!? Lew and Meg...you crazy kids. Am I right?_

_Anywho, since I won't be posting until the day AFTER Halloween, have fun and be safe! I want to hear all about your costumes this year! AND if you have a costume that tops mine I mentioned above, PLEASE tell me. I'm a sucker for creative costumes haha._

_Quick side note: my life has been super down lately. Like, a majority of the time. And last Friday was a bad day for me. But I will say, reading all of your reviews makes my day just a bit more brighter. They mean so much to me, even if it's just a quick note to tell me you liked the chapter. When I'm feeling at my worst and feeling like my whole life is a dreary rain cloud, it's so nice to get these reviews that show me people care about something that's a piece of me. So, from the absolute bottom of my heart, I want to truly thank each and every one of you._

_**caught-offsides - **I'm glad you thought the last chapter was a success? And this one? And I TOTALLY agree. I was definitely born a few decades too late. I wish I had grown up in the 40s. Even the 20s. Honestly, any decade earlier than the 80s hahaha. Thanks for the review! Thanks for **all** your reviews!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific - **How'd you like this chapter? No Joe again, but I hope all the smuttiness of it made up for that haha. And yes Spiers, I will ALWAYS listen to everything you tell me to do haha. That man is too gorgeous for his own good ;) Thanks for your review!_

_**SparkELee - **Ack once again your review was amazing! I was in a really crappy mood last Friday as I mentioned. So crappy I didn't read any of my reviews or check my chapter stats all day. When I got home (and after I had a good long cry) I sat down and read them and seriously, your review made my day seem brighter. The above note I wrote is ESPECIALLY for you. Now onto your review content haha. Not as much inner monologue with Meg this chapter but there was still a bit. Did I do as well this time? And I love that you love everything about Meg, and every part I write for her. It's so nice to see someone read into everything as much as you do, because sometimes you even see things I would never have noticed in my own writing hahaha. And yeah, I thought Meg needed a little bit of a lighter chapter. This one got a little bummy but for the most part it was all fluff and happiness too. I'm excited to see what you think of with where I take this story. I'm looking forward to the action starting when the boys go off to war (finally haha). And yeah, I'll let you know as soon as I post something of my own. I'd definitely love your input on it! Thanks SO much for your review! I feel like this response didn't do it justice, but it would almost take a whole chapter's worth of text to respond with what I could say haha._

_**IceColdInAlex - **I'm glad you liked her internal thoughts. It was hard writing this chapter because part of me felt like it was happening too soon and another part of me felt like it was perfect timing. The internal monologue wasn't in the first draft as much but I added it in mostly to make me feel more comfortable with the chapter hahaha. In the end, it ended up being a perfect fit because I realized Meg would be having the same thoughts I was when writing it. I hope you liked this chapter as well! Thanks for the review!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue -** Thanks for your review! And I'm glad you liked the chapter! I love when things happen in the moment too. Sometimes when there's a lot of build up, it seems too played out or too forced. At the same time, sometimes when things happen in the moment they seem so random that the reader is all "WTF!?" So I'm glad you thought I wrote this well. I was worried it was too shockingly sudden but it seems like the majority of people didn't think so haha. And yeah, pets are fun, but sometimes annoying haha. I used to raise rabbits when I was in high school and those got really annoying because I'd have to clean all the cages twice a week and handle them all so they behaved well, and keep them groomed...etc hahaha. I prefer the animals I have now because they're either easy to take care of or they're not mine so I can just enjoy them without doing the work hahaha._

_**Rose2621 - **YAY new reviewer! Thank you so much for taking the time to review! And I'm glad you're enjoying my story. And yes, the other shoe does drop. I think it dropped a little bit in this chapter, so you'll have to tell me what you thought. I do agree though, I love their relationship. A lot of time my writing isn't what I originally had planned, and their relationship has turned into something wonderful that I never thought of when I first sat down to start writing this story. I'm glad you like it :) and again, thanks for your review!_

**_LauRa-ReaDingG-XoX - _**_Thanks for your review! What did you think of the aftermath? Was it more aftermath than you were expecting, just as much aftermath as you were expecting, or are you still expecting MORE aftermath? Haha sorry, now I feel like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Sidenote, every time I hear Skyfall now, I think of my story hahahaha. And I told my roomie/editor (who's OBSESSED with James Bond) and she LOVED that you said that haha. PS I'm listening to it right now in honor of posting this chapter lol_


	17. Your Top Priority

_Here it is! Yay! _

_Be thankful I actually got this out! We got hit with that hurricane Tuesday and stuff's been crazy. Monday we lost power every 10 minutes (for like, 2 seconds) from 8:45-10:30 pm. Then at midnight we lost power for good. Since I can't sleep when I hear annoying noises (aka the heater in my room clicking as it slowly cools down since there's no power) I ended up sleeping on the couch in my parents' room...but then couldn't fall back asleep because the house felt like it was going to blow over and the rain/wind was ridiculously loud. Flash forward to Tuesday morning and luckily our power came back on (which is a miracle since we lose power for hours in a normal, every day thunderstorm) but our flipping kitchen roof was leaking! Then our basement flooded because our sup pump was off with the power and couldn't pump the water out. THEN we go out to the barn and our barn is flooded! My poor horse was all upset because he was standing in 2-3 inches of water in his entire stall. So guess where I spent my entire day... at work? hell no! Out in the barn taking turns with my mom to hold my horse while we wet vaccumed his stall. Talk about miserable..._

_On the plus side, this past weekend was absolutely amazing! I got to have a good time out with all my friends I graduated with and saw some people I haven't seen SINCE graduation! The weather was crummy, but it was fun. Except I may have accidentally led my guy friend/makeout buddy on and when he tried to get me to come home I acted drunker than I was and told him I couldn't and then ran away...then the next morning I texted him pretending I had forgotten what happened the night before... hahahaha woops... Also, my guy friends invited me up to their old frat house to hang out and after 3 hours there I ran into the guy I **super** crushed on all through senior year of college (and yeah, the crush is totally still there) and it turns out he lives 5 minutes down the street from where I work! So if anyone has any suggestions on how I can "run into" him, let me know! hahaha._

_Anyway, onto the story!_

* * *

Lew didn't have to leave until early afternoon the next day. True to his word, they ordered room service for breakfast, choosing to spend the entire morning in bed. Not that Meg was complaining. Lazy kisses and passionate displays of affection were quickly becoming her favorite activities. She wasn't about to deny herself them.

When she had been little, Meg had often witnessed her parents behave similarly. At the dinner table they would exchange sweet looks when they thought her and Adam weren't looking. When one had been off on a mission, the other had waited not-so-patiently for their return. The embraces and kisses had always been loving and gentle.

Never would Meg have imagined herself in something like this. She had always felt her life was meant to be lived loving nothing but her work and her country. She cared about her team members, and she would always love Adam, but romance was never in the cards for her. Not when there was always another job to do.

But now it was different. Now she had someone who cared about her, and she realized she cared about him too. It was new and exciting, but at the same time it was so wonderful to feel loved; to feel safe in someone's arms.

"What?" Lew finally asked, his pancakes mid-chew.

"What, what?" Meg replied coyly, trying to blow off the fact that he had caught her staring at him.

"What is that look you've been giving me for the past twenty minutes?" he clarified after he'd chewed and swallowed the rest of his mouthful.

"I don't know what you're talking about," was all Meg could say. Because honestly, it was much better than the truth, which was that she had been studying every part of him so she would never forget this moment.

By the time they got up, Meg knew she had every line of his face memorized. She knew where his laugh wrinkles were, exactly how high his left eyebrow rose when he mocked her, and just how wide his mouth would go depending on how humorous he found something.

As she sat on the bed, waiting for him to come out of the shower, cold hard reality hit her.

Lew would be going back to Aldbourne in a few hours, and the odds of him getting to visit her again were slim to none. She would be stuck here on her own, with only her daydreams to keep her entertained. And what was going to happen when they finally got shipped to Europe? Would they see each other before? Would they see each other after?

When did she come to depend on Lew so much? When did he become such a large part of her life? It had to have been before this weekend together, but when she thought on it, she couldn't think of an exact time when he went from being just another of the men to her Lew. Maybe it had always been that way, she just hadn't realized it.

And honestly, this realization was scary. She had never cared about someone other than family and her team before, yet here she was revolving her entire world around someone she hadn't even known for a year. This was completely irrational of her.

"Stop it," she told herself harshly, wringing her hands together before burying them in her skirt. In all truth, if there was ever a time to be irrational about a man, it was in the middle of a war. Who knew where they would be tomorrow, or a week from then, or even next year. Hell, they could both very well be killed in action soon. Now was the time to live a little. Did she really want to deny herself this situation when it could be her last chance at any form of romance?

"Ready?" Lew asked as he came out of the shower, toweling his hair dry. Meg jumped up from the bed, walking over to place a kiss on his cheek. "What was that for?" he asked and she shrugged, walking over to put on her coat.

"Just because. Aren't I allowed to give you a kiss just because?" she asked and he smirked.

"Not on my cheek you aren't," he told her as he offered his arm. "That's reserved for my mother and grandmothers."

Meg laughed, nestling her cheek onto his arm as they walked out the door.

"My mistake."

They walked out into the crisp London air with every intention of getting lunch at a diner before Lew went on his way. They had settled on heading to the diner where they had gotten lunch with Harry on their last visit; however Meg was surprised when Lew pulled her into a shop. She was so surprised, she didn't even see the shop name until they were inside.

"Cartier?" she whispered excitedly, looking around.

She had never been in a Cartier shop before. She had heard they were exquisite to experience but her past years had been spent seriously devoted to her job. She didn't have time for foolish things such as jewelry she could never afford. Sure, she had a few nice necklaces somewhere from the General but she didn't consider those gifts. They were just extra baggage to remind her of what she had experienced while wearing them.

Still, she was first and foremost a woman, so being in a shop filled with so much expensive jewelry sent her into a small tizzy. Her eyes darted around so quickly, she had no idea what to look at first. She also had no idea why Lew would have dragged her in here. Unless...

"Pick something," Lew said and she looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"Something?" she repeated in disbelief. He actually wanted to buy her something from one of these expensive, gorgeous cases? He nodded, motioning around.

"Yeah, something. But pick wisely, I have a no return policy," he added with a smirk and Meg rolled her eyes before walking up to the closest counter, peering into the glass.

The jewelry before her was ridiculously beautiful. She was sure it rivaled all of the necklaces the General had bought her, all of which were stuffed in a drawer back on Base somewhere, out of sight.

The price tags on some of the items were clearly visible, making her gulp at the cost. No matter how much of a girl she admitted she was, she could never feel comfortable making someone pay this much for such a trivial item.

"Lew I can't," Meg said, looking up at him. He frowned, turning instead to the sales clerk.

"Can we see that one?" he asked and the clerk nodded, pulling a large diamond necklace off of a velvet pillow and walking around the counter to fasten it around Meg's neck himself.

Once it was on, Meg looked in the mirror, eyeing herself from different angles. She had to admit the necklace was gorgeous. The silver fastenings combined perfectly with the clear diamonds, covering her neck in an elegant shine. Still, the necklace was too gaudy for her taste and she knew she'd most likely never wear it. She definitely wouldn't wear it enough to make the price worth it.

"Lew I can't," she repeated again but Lew shook his head at the clerk, indicating he take it off.

"You're right, too big," he said to her, as if the reason behind her statement was because the necklace wasn't right. "Earrings maybe?" he asked, pointing to a pairs that Meg personally felt were too much for her; just like everything else in the store seemed to be.

As Lew continued to point different pieces of jewelry out to her, Meg realized something: he had no idea what she would like. He was merely pointing out the most obnoxious (and probably most expensive) ones. She wondered if it was because those were what Katharine would have chosen or if they were the types of necklaces the women back home in New Jersey wore. Still, he had to have decent taste in jewelry; he _had_ gotten her dartboard charm made by personal request after all.

She was following Lew around mindlessly, giving him the satisfaction of trying things on and holding back each grimace, when something caught her eye. Straying from Lew and the clerk, she walked over to a case, staring down into it.

A thin silver bracelet lay off to the side on a pale blue pillow. Dangling from it was a small heart charm, but other than that it was very simple.

"See something?" Lew asked, walking up to look over her shoulder. Meg nodded, pointing to the bracelet.

"If you absolutely insist on buying me something, I want it to be that," she said and he nodded, motioning to the clerk.

"Would the lady like it wrapped, or would she like to wear it?"

"Wear it please," she said, holding her wrist out. Despite insisting that he shouldn't buy her anything, Meg felt positively giddy as the clerk wrapped the bracelet around her wrist. The man fastened it on, commenting that it was a perfect fit. Meg beamed up at Lew as he turned and asked the clerk how much it was.

Meg didn't even notice the bills exchanged, she was too busy eyeing her new piece of jewelry and wondering what she did to deserve a man like Lewis Nixon.

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't want any of those necklaces," Lew said as they walked to the diner.

"Why? This bracelet is perfect," she said, her eyes trained to the jewelry around her wrist. "It's simple and elegant, just like me," she added and Lew chuckled.

"That we can agree on," he replied as they walked into the diner. "Besides, I bet the British officers would have taken you even less seriously if you'd shown up to your meetings in some of that jewelry."

Meg laughed at his statement as they slid into a booth, taking the proffered menus from the waitress.

"You never know. At least with the jewelry they might actually acknowledge me," she said casually as she skimmed the menu. When Lew stayed silent she lowered her menu, locking eyes with him.

"Is it really that bad?" he asked, his eyes and mouth conveying a look of sympathetic pain. Instantly Meg felt guilty for dragging him into the situation. Pulling her menu back up, she shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's not that bad really. I'm mostly exaggerating because I'm feeling sorry for myself," she quickly added, locking eyes with him again. "After you leave I'll be back to my lonesome."

"There's no one here you can spend time with?" Lew asked and she gave a harsh laugh.

"Well in the past I hung with Captain Norris but I suppose that's out the window now."

"Meg…" Lew started but she tossed up her hand, cutting him off.

"Don't," she said strongly before her facial expression softened. "Please don't. I want our last memory together to be cheerful," she explained and he paused only a moment before reaching across the table to clutch her hand.

"Alright," was all he said before turning to his own menu.

* * *

An hour later, they found themselves back at the train depot.

"I don't want you to go," Meg said as they stood waiting for the train. She had been dreading this moment since this morning and now it was finally here.

"And you think I do?" Lew asked and she rolled her eyes. Of course she knew he didn't, but it was still nice to hear him say it out loud. "Listen, the odds of me getting another 48-hour pass-"

"I know, they're slim," she finished, turning to face him. "Maybe I'll get one to come back to Aldbourne."

She hadn't thought of it until then, but she planned on writing a letter to Marco as soon as she got back to her room. Maybe she could tell him she missed seeing all the men who were always so friendly to her. Marco couldn't deny her friendship; especially when she told him how lonely she was among the British officers.

"You know where I live," Lew said with a wink as the conductor called all aboard.

"Lew," Meg said suddenly, feeling frantic. When he looked at her, she realized she had to say something more than just his name. "I love you."

A grin broke out across his face and he leaned forward, capturing her lips with his own. His left hand came up to cup her jaw, his thumb stroking her cheek softly.

"I love you too," he said as he pulled away, tapping her on the nose. "Stay safe kid. And keep your chin up."

And as she watched, the love of her life boarded the train that would take him away from her indefinitely.

* * *

That night her nightmares returned again. It started out the same as all the others.

_"Meg!"_ the voice called out but Meg paused. While the voice was familiar, it wasn't the same as in her other dreams. "_Meg you have to help us!"_

As she began to realize just who she was hearing, the sound of a gunshot made her jump.

_"They got Dick!"_

This wasn't how it was supposed to play out. It was supposed to be the same as all the others. First Carter, then Maxwell, Sarah, Yvonne and finally Christian. So why was Lew yelling at her to help them? And why had Dick been shot?

_"Now they got Harry!"_

Meg wanted to scream. This was going horribly wrong. What was this? She could barely handle the same nightmare over and over, how was she supposed to handle this one?

_"Go!"_ Lew's voice shouted and Meg's eyes flew open. She lay there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling as she breathed heavily. When she realized her breathing wouldn't calm, she rolled over into the fetal position, holding back the sobs that erupted from her.

She knew the dream was just a dream and she knew it was making her an emotional wreck, but right now, more than anything, she wanted Lew to be beside her; to hold her and tell her it was going to be alright.

She missed him.

* * *

_Lew,_

_ It hasn't even been two days since you left and already I miss you. Of course, if my display at the train station was any indication, I'm sure you're aware of my sadness._

_ I hope your trip back to Aldbourne was pleasant. If anything, at least you were able to make up on the sleep you missed while here. Of course, I didn't mean that in an inappropriate way, although I know you'll take it that way. I simply meant that we did so much in such a short amount of time, I'm sure you're lacking sleep._

_ Anyway, please send Harry and Dick my love. I know you most likely told both of them you were visiting me, so instead of scolding you I'll take advantage of the ability to tell them hello. Please however, try not to mention seeing me to anyone else. It may be hard but I would prefer if no one else knew. If Adam finds out, I'm dead. If he knew, he'd most likely never let me come near Easy Company ever again._

_ Speaking of being near Easy, I've written to Marco in the hopes of obtaining a pass so I can visit Aldbourne. I have yet to hear back from him, but since it's only been two days, I'm hoping to hear soon._

_ That's all I have to say for now. After all, what can I say to a man I saw two days ago? Please write back soon so I know you miss me as much as I miss you._

_ Love,_

_ Meg_

* * *

_ Meg,_

_ Has it really only been a week? It seems like so much longer since I saw you last. I can certainly say my bed has felt much emptier since my return; it's so strange without you next to me._

_ I did have a nice nap on the train. I should have known all those passionate escapades would result in my exhaustion. Next time, I plan on catching up on my sleep prior to our reunion._

_ As for your eventual return to Aldbourne, please let it be sooner rather than later. I'm sure I'm driving Harry and Dick crazy with my moody attitude over the lack of Meg Myeroff here. And before you ask, they both say hello of course. In regards to the rest of Easy, they all mention you on occasion, and a few have asked if I have heard from you recently. You have no idea how hard it is to keep our time in London a secret. Please return soon before I accidentally mention it._

_ I don't think it needs to be said, but I'll remind you anyway. I miss you._

_ Love,_

_ Lew _

* * *

With April came a rise in the weather. Meg was pleased that she could permanently discard her winter coat, enjoying the lightness of her spring jacket much better. Her days off were much more pleasant too, with her able to walk around and not worry about getting too cold. She was also able to sit outside at her favorite café again, people watching while she sipped on her tea.

Along with the change in the weather came a change in Montgomery's attitude. He had almost completely dissected the original Operation Overlord plan, rewriting and replanning large parts of it. Many nights found Meg pouring over maps of France, trying to find better options to the ones they currently had. But still Montgomery was growing more and more frustrated.

The higher ups wanted this Operation in action by June. That left them two months to iron out all the kinks and make it completely perfect. Meg's intuition would normally have her accepting the plan as it was, knowing she could alter it once in the field.

This wasn't an IIA team mission though. This was a mission that involved thousands of men. One wrong note from her, one miscalculated step from Montgomery and they could be the cause of hundreds of deaths.

It wasn't something they could take lightly.

Something else she couldn't take lightly was Roger. Although months ago she would have been pleased if he had been ignoring her, now it was bothering her. Two weeks before her romantic weekend with Lew, the British Captain had invited her out for dinner, introducing her to Sergeant Wellington. The three had actually had a very pleasant evening, Meg and the Sergeant spending it discussing humorous stories about her brother. She knew Adam wouldn't have been happy but at least it kept the conversation going.

Now however, the Captain was giving Meg the cold shoulder. She knew it had to do with the incident between him, her, and Lew. She just wondered if he had mentioned what he saw to anyone else. Despite Lew's letters assuring her they were fine, she knew it wouldn't stay like that. All the Captain had to do was jot one sentence down in a letter to someone else, or mention seeing both of them to one person and the rumors would get started. With the technology available, it would only take a few weeks for Katharine to hear about it all the way over in New Jersey.

Still, she tried not to concern herself with it too much. Instead she spent her time writing letters to all her favorite men in Aldbourne.

She had received a letter the other day from the men of Easy Company. It was obviously written in Lipton's handwriting, but each man had his own paragraph, asking her his own questions and telling her his own news. At the bottom they had all signed it and she had nearly cried at the sweetness of it, placing it on her desk and promising to spend a good amount of time writing them all back. It was such a child-like thing for them to do, and she knew most people would probably find it silly. Still, it meant so much to her that they had all taken the time to sit down as a group and write this letter to her.

Her promise to Lew that she would try to return to Aldbourne was still at the forefront of her mind. After returning from the train station that depressing Sunday, she had immediately gone to her desk and written a letter to Marco, asking him if she could have a weekend off sometime soon. She used Adam as an excuse, claiming that she missed her brother and wanted to see him again. To make sure Marco didn't simply send Adam to her, she added a sentence or two about missing the Easy Company men too. She didn't name specifics, but she hoped it would help her cause to get back to Aldbourne.

Besides, she needed a break from all this work. Between Montgomery and Roger, she was likely to go crazy before the Operation was even put into effect.

* * *

"Miss Myeroff?" a timid voice said, interrupting Montgomery right when he was in the middle of explaining a new detail regarding Omaha Beach. The small group of five looked up to the door, causing the young man to cower back.

The five of them had been shut in the room for the past four hours, pouring over maps, statistics, and tactics in order to make this section of the operation completely perfect. Time was ticking away and they needed to get this nailed down.

"Yes?" Meg asked, slightly frustrated that they had been interrupted. Finally they were getting somewhere and this stupid boy had to come and barge in. She hoped it was important.

"You have a call from someone named Marco?" it came out of his lips as more of a question, hinting at how nervous he was.

"Oh, perfect," Meg said, excusing herself from the group. "I've been expecting his call."

The two of them walked down a hallway and over to a large telephone perched on the wall behind the main desk. Meg had to squeeze her way between the chair and the back wall, silently cursing God for giving her feminine curves.

"Meg Myeroff," she said into the receiver, hoping she wouldn't have to say anything top secret. She was so close to everything she was sure someone on the other side of the wall would be able to hear her.

"Meg, I'm calling about your letter," Marco's voice said, forgoing a greeting.

"You mean the letter I sent you three weeks ago?" she asked sarcastically, leaning her hip against the wall as they talked.

"Alright, alright so maybe my response is a little late," he said and she smirked at his flustered tone. "I'm sorry Meg, it can't be done."

"What do you mean it can't be done?" she asked in a harsh tone, standing up from the wall and immediately sending a few people in the hallway scrambling to another room. They recognized her frustration and they didn't want to be caught eavesdropping.

"You're needed there; your duty is there. We can't have you taking time off for personal visits."

"But Marco," Meg started before stopping to compose herself. If she sounded like a begging, whining child, he was going to treat her like one. "Military personnel get 48-hour passes. I'd be fine with even a 24-hour pass."

"Why do I have a feeling this has to do with more than just Adam?" Marco asked, his tone sounded accusatory.

"It doesn't," Meg said, immediately on the defensive. If Marco found out about her and Lew, she was done for. She could forget about ever going back to Aldbourne. If there was anyone stricter about her than Adam, it was Marco.

"Then it's settled. Adam will come out and visit you this coming weekend but after that, you're on your own until this thing is done. This needs to be your top priority and we can't have you sidetracked."

Meg sighed, realizing the discussion was over and she had lost. This had never happened with her before and she didn't know what to do. Whenever she and Marco got in a disagreement, she always came out on top. Now she couldn't think of anything to sway the decision in her favor.

"Alright," she said in a dejected tone, hanging up the phone.

That was it. No arguing, no explaining her reasoning. There was no way Marco was going to ever let her have a break to head back to Aldbourne. Maybe after all this operation planning with Montgomery was completely over, but not before that. Who knew when she'd see the boys again. When she'd see Lew again. Be able to touch his hand; to stroke his face or feel his lips on hers...

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. They weren't going to make the situation better so it was no use thinking them. All they would do would be make her longing for him stronger and what good would that do?

No, the best thing she could do now would be to focus on the operation. The sooner it was planned, the sooner it would all be over.

Everything else had to wait.

* * *

_Holy guacamole, these review responses are RIDICULOUSLY long this week! I have no idea why I wrote so much for everyone...I just got started and didn't stop! Maybe it was because I wrote them at work and it was either spend an hour writing these or spend an hour filing paperwork...so yeah, which would **you** choose? _

_**caught-offsides** - I don't really know how I'd define the relationship, but I guess "together" works better than anything else haha. It's hard to put a word to what exactly they're doing, mostly because of the whole Katharine thing. And speaking of Katharine, she's really getting in the way of everything isn't she? If only she didn't exist, then Meg and Lew could have the absolute perfect relationship! And I agree on the illogical thing. In my first draft of the story, Meg just does whatever. But when my editor/roomie read it, she was like "Come on Katie, she has to have SOME kind of morals. You can't just have her throw everything to the wind and just be with this guy..." so then I changed it a bit. I'm happy with what I did because it seems so much more realistic, but sometimes I DO wish Meg could just go back to being illogical hahahahaha. Thanks for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story :)_

_**Rose2621** - Thanks so much for your review! That damn other shoe. I feel like I keep mentioning my first draft (aka like I did in the review above) but my first time around, their romance happened and bam the end. Then my editor/roomie digitally slapped me in the head (since she currently lives over an hour away) and was like "dude, you need some kind of conflict..." so thus we have the other shoe. It would be so nice to have the relationship be completely perfect...but then where would the story be? I'm glad you're proud of her. I am too haha. I think she has a bit more conflict with herself in this chapter but that's good. It shows she's a human with good character that she can't convince herself to just do all this without a care in the world. At the same time, she is able to let go of it all when it matters and adopt that attitude you mentioned. Again, thanks for the review!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific** - I'm glad it made up for it. Joe's not going to be in a couple more chapters but don't worry, he'll show up eventually! I can't give too much else away or it'll mess up the story, but I'm sure she'll be seeing all of Easy again real soon...haha. As for Speirs, he's one I wish I had written into the story more. Of course, in the show he didn't really play a major role yet so it was hard for me to try and force him to mingle with the Easy men when he didn't in the show hahaha. I feel like his interactions with Meg would have been interesting. He probably wouldn't have liked her so maybe it's better that he was in it minimally hahaha. As for your story, I SWEAR I will read and review. I feel like my life gets so busy, I barely have time to post chapters of my own story haha. But then when I think about it, I seriously have the most boring life ever, so I don't really know where my time actually goes...lol. Thanks for the review! I promise to return in kind._

_**IceColdInAlex** - Thanks for the review! I have to tell you, in my first draft (which for some strange reason I keep mentioning in these review responses this week haha) I had a random classmate of Lew's run into them. His name was Spencer. Then when I finished the draft and read it over I was like "1: wtf happened to Captain Norris? His character just disappeared. And 2: this whole Spencer thing is stupid." and then I had the brilliant idea to make it Norris and the rest is history lol. And I'm glad you thought the scenes were tasteful. That was mostly because I feel too embarassed to write some of those super intense scenes hahaha. But thank you for thinking they were very well done. I was nervous about those scenes especially so I'm glad you liked them. And yeah, I'll definitely read when you update! So get to it! haha jk, but thanks again!_

_**SparkELee** - Once again, such a lovely review :) I totally love the fluff and warmth too. I think that's why these last couple chapters were so much fun to write haha. It was a nice break from writing about Meg's rough life at least. But yeah, obviously they can't stay happy forever, especially in their predicament. What you said totally makes sense. If you don't realize you have anything to lose, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and not have a care in the world. And I think to her, yeah she's known there's a risk etc, but nothing has happened so far so it's easy to try and ignore it. But then here it is, and it's so much worse than how she imagined, because not only was it someone Lew knows, but it was someone she knows too. AND someone she still is going to have to see every day. As for Lew's declaration of love, I was worried about it at first. I feel like a lot of times with this story I'm worried things are moving too quickly. That's my biggest pet peeve and I feel like I'm doing that here, so seeing your analysis of it all makes me realize that I DO have the right way of thinking. It doesn't have to be rational to happen. Lew's declaration is probably one of the most unrational things he's done, but that's what love is, isn't it? It's just nice to see you agreeing with my timeline because then I know it makes sense to more people than just myself haha. And AHH you read it a few times!? That makes me feel so special haha. I have to tell you, I was waiting all day for your review and I was like "omg what if she didn't like this chapter and stops reviewing!? What will I do!?" and then of course like, 4 days later (after you reviewed) I got your message on Twitter hahahaha. I ALWAYS miss people's messages on Twitter. It needs to be more obvious for dummies like me lol. Thanks for the review!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue** - Yay! They DID finally say it! I guess they're together? I don't know...how do you describe two people who would be "together" if it weren't for the one party's spouse? haha well, whatever it would be, that's them. And yeah, Roger is a total douche. But I loved it haha. I started out wanting to make Roger a likeable, kinda just there character. Then one day I was like "screw that idea!" and voila! Roger is evil haha. And I'm glad you thought their "get together" was just right. I know exactly what you mean. I have read so many stories and watched so many movies where it doesn't live up to what I had expected/imagined/hoped and I know how disappointing that can be so I'm glad you thought I did well on it. Thanks for complimenting my costume! I thought it was great too! This year I went as Toddlers & Tiaras hahaha. Not as good as the one nightstand, but still entertaining. And I can't wait until I actually have time to sit down and clean my typewriter so I can write something on it. It's absolutely amazing (I posted a pic on my twitter if you have one and want to check it out.) And I'm sorry your life has been down. And that really sucks about your friends. If you ever want to talk to someone, PM me on here or tweet me or something. I totally understand what it feels like to feel "alone" and at least we can feel "alone" together :) And yes, the reviews ALWAYS make me feel better. It may sound pathetic, but getting reviews from people I don't know (other than from their reviews) shows me that people really do care about me. If strangers care about me, then obviously my friends do too. Thanks for your review!_


	18. Where's Your Helmet?

_First I would like to say that I hope all my East Coast readers (If I have any) have fared well this past week, what with Sandy and now this Nor'easter. Bundle up and stay warm! Just wear layers and do some old-fashioned notebook writing! That's my favorite no-power activity haha. (We lose power a lot at my house. I've got my no-power activities down! hahaha)_

_Anywho, remember the guy I totally have the hots for? Well I found out last Friday that he coaches football for a rival team of my high school team. AND, if both his team and my team win their playoff games tomorrow, they play **each other** next week! So fingers crossed, because I totally want to text him and bet him a beer that my team wins!_

_Also you all can thank **SparkELee** for this chapter being out 40 minutes ahead of my usual publish time. Her pressuring Tweets motivated me to sit down and just edit this thing and publish it early! YAY for peer press-er, motivation! _

_And with that said, on with the chapter..._

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Dearest Lew,_

_I'm so sorry but it looks like I won't be able to come to Aldbourne and see you and the rest of Easy Company. Marco has insisted that I stay here and do my duty. I tried compromising with him but he just grew suspicious so I dropped it._

_I had really hoped I would be seeing you sometime soon. Even just knowing I would be seeing you would make me feel better. This whole, not knowing when is rough, especially now that you've been here and gone. I feel like everything here now reminds me of you. Even my pillows still smell like you. Part of me wants to wash them so I stop wallowing, but the other part of me feels close to you when those pillows are near._

_How is Adam treating you? I've been a good girl and never let it slip that you had visited, so I'm hoping he didn't catch wind of it at all. Of course, knowing Adam as well as I do, I'm sure if he'd heard, you would probably be half dead by now. I hope this hasn't happened so please respond to my letter quickly so I know you are alright._

_Yours,_

_Meg_

* * *

_Meg,_

_Although I'm equally sad we don't know when we'll see each other again, it's probably best you didn't get leave to come to Aldbourne because we aren't there. We've been moved to Uppottery so you would be visiting Adam in Aldbourne alone. If he's even still there; he mentioned something about an upcoming assignment._

_And no, he hasn't caught wind of my visit. If he has, he hasn't said anything so if we follow your logic we can make the assumption he doesn't know._

_I think you would like Uppottery, although the accommodations are somewhat lacking. They've run out of space so we've had to pitch tents to sleep in. I know, I know, you've probably had to reside in much worse on some of your missions but remember, I'm a spoiled society boy from New Jersey. I'm not used to sleeping in tents on a daily basis._

_I miss you. I felt it only right to slip that in at some point. It seems like so long since London. So long, but at the same time I feel like it was yesterday. Promise to let me know as soon as you can get away from your duties. I hope we can see each other before the inevitable moment when we're both thrust into this war but I think time is growing too short to be that hopeful._

_For now, I'll just tell you to stay sharp and be safe._

_Lew_

* * *

_Meg,_

_I don't know if you've heard, but the paratroopers have all shipped out of Aldbourne. They left a week or so ago. I'm not sure if you're still exchanging correspondence with any of the men in Easy but I thought I'd let you know just in case._

_Marco mentioned you wanted to take a break and come back to Aldbourne to see me. I'm sorry he wouldn't let you, but it's probably for the better since I'll be shipping out soon myself. I've been sent word that I'm to report to an undisclosed location within the next few days. So far the information on this assignment has been very vague so this is the most I'm able to give you. Hopefully I'll be able to fill you in on more after I find out about it._

_I wish we could be back together again, like we were after graduating from the Academy. Hopefully sometime soon Marco will decide to put us back together in the field._

_I miss you Meg. I know we're both adults and having our own adventures, but I feel like I've barely seen you in the past two years. When this war is over, promise me we'll go somewhere and spend time getting to know each other again. I'm still your big brother but I'm not even sure your favorite color is the same as it was before everything that's happened in the last couple years._

_Adam_

* * *

_Adam,_

_Darling brother, I must admit your letter brought tears to my eyes. Now I'm certainly cursing Marco for refusing my pass. I agree that it seems like forever since we were able to spend long amounts of time together. I don't even count our time at Aldbourne; we were both so busy with other things._

_Where do you want to go after the war? My only preference is someplace warm; and definitely someplace that we haven't visited in the last few years for missions. After all the work we've both put in, there's no way Marco can deny us this request. If he does, I'll simply put all my cards on the table and convince him otherwise._

_All joking aside, I really do miss you as much as you miss me. I cherish those brief moments at Aldbourne because they remind me I'm not alone in all of this. You and I, Adam and Meg, together until the end of time. Remember when we used to say that to each other in training at the Academy? Before you grew up and got too cool to hang out with your little sister. I'm glad we're back to how close we were back then._

_And my favorite color is still green._

_Meg_

* * *

**4 June, 1944**

France was hotter in June than Meg expected. Suddenly she was wishing she had worn a different, cooler dress.

She was currently in the back of a horse drawn wagon, hitchhiking to the outskirts of Normandy, to a town called Culoville. Of course this part of her mission was completely against her wishes. In just a few days the Allied armies would be storming the beaches of Normandy, arriving by sea or by air. Meg's orders required her to be there, since she had helped plan the entire invasion. Her job would be to stay until Culoville and the surrounding towns had been taken by the Allied forces. It was her duty to report the successes back to Montgomery, as well as the IIA, when it was completed.

There was just one problem: how to get her there. She hadn't earned her jump wings with the paratroopers and while she liked to boost her ego and think she could do it, the men in charge insisted otherwise. They also didn't want to put her on a Navy ship full of soldiers, feeling a woman might distract them from the mission at hand.

Lew was thankful for that when she mentioned it in her letter. Adam was as well, and Meg didn't know which man's opinion on the matter annoyed her more.

If everything went according to plan, the military forces would be storming Normandy that night. Meg's orders were to travel to Culoville and make sure to arrive before any of the men did. Then she would stay there and help until she was needed elsewhere.

The last couple months had been hectic for Meg. So hectic that this small amount of time in the back of the wagon was relaxing to her. In fact, she was even looking forward to a few peaceful hours of sleep between now and the impending invasion. However, she knew that was being too hopeful; her nerves were going haywire at what was about to come in the next few hours and sleep would most definitely not come easily.

Her days in London had been long, Montgomery forcing her to put in over 80 hours each week. When she wasn't staring at maps and discussing invasion tactics with the British officers, she was writing detailed letters to Marco so the IIA stayed up to date on the plans. When all of that was mixed together with her restless, sometimes sleepless nights, it made for an exhausted Megan Myeroff.

Her horrible sleeping habits weren't a new development, but she knew just what was to blame for them becoming worse. Ever since Lewis Nixon had spent two nights beside her in her lovely bed, it didn't seem the same sleeping in it alone. Meg rarely had a sound night's sleep anyway, what with her nightmares and unability to clear her mind. Throwing this whole missing Lew thing into the mix was making it absolutely dreadful.

Two weeks ago, just when Meg was beginning to seriously debate sending Marco a resignation letter, Montgomery had announced that the final plans had been completed. Meg should have been pleased with this anouncement, knowing it meant she could go back to the IIA. However dread at what would come for her next filled her thoughts instead, completely depleting any hours of sleep she had hoped to sneak in.

Her two weeks at Base had flown by as she prepared, both mentally and physically, for the role she would play in the invasion. It would be a small role, simply observing everything and reporting back to the men in charge, but she knew it was an important role so she wasn't too dishearted.

Out of instinct she glanced up at the dark sky, wondering when the planes would start flying over. She thought of her boys, all stuffed inside those planes, preparing for what was about to take place. Her mind wandered to George, Dick, Harry, Muck, Bill, Joe...she was trying not to think of Lew.

Subconsciously she fingered the small dart board around her neck, willing her mind to think of anyone but him. She hadn't seen Lew since the train station back in March and it was eating away at her. They had kept up correspondence via letters but it had still been over three months since she had seen his face. Touched his skin. Kissed his lips...

Shaking her head to rid herself of these thoughts, she turned to thoughts of the other man in her life. Adam hadn't been in contact since two weeks prior. Meg didn't know where he was but she hoped he was alright. She knew Marco would contact her if it was otherwise but it could be weeks before even he knew.

"Mademoiselle," the driver said, making her realize the carriage had stopped.

"Oh, merci beaucoup," she said as she hopped down, pulling her small bag with her. After the driver was down the road and out of sight, Meg turned and shuffled off the road in the opposite direction of the town.

When it got captured in a few hours she did not want to be inside.

* * *

Despite her beliefs, it was nearly 24 hours before she started to hear gunfire. It was another hour or two after that before it was close enough to be coming from Culoville. Pushing aside her wonderings on why it had taken so long, she quickly made sure she had everything together, pulling her pistol out of its holster as she crouched down and prepared to head toward the town.

It was at that moment that Meg realized she hadn't planned everything as well as she could have. In order to get into the town, she would have to walk out of the woods with no warning. The odds of a trigger happy sergeant or nervous private taking a shot at her were ridiculously high.

So she stayed put, listening until the gunshots began to scatter, dying down.

Cocking her own gun so it was ready if need be, she stood from the bushes and made her way into town, trying everything she could to make sure she looked innocent. She was glad she was wearing a dress. At least they'd know she was a woman and hopefully that would keep someone from shooting her on sight. All she needed was a few seconds to announce that she was on their side and all would be good.

Walking into the town, she kept her eyes peeled, looking for any familiar face to ensure she was safe from harm. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest but she tried to ignore it, focusing on everything around her. It had been a while, so she knew she was off her game, but she had to be alert to everything if she wanted to make it inside.

"Stop!" a voice cried suddenly and she turned, throwing her arms up in surrender, dropping her gun so it wouldn't be visible.

"Don't shoot, I'm with you," she said quickly and the private hesitated. Meg took that as her sign to continue. "I'm Agent Megan Myeroff. Were you stationed at Aldbourne? I was stationed there back in November but I mostly stuck to Easy Company. What Company are you in?"

"Able ma'am," he said, lowering his gun. "I remember you. You're the one who Sink called in to spy at the pub." Meg sighed in relief as she bent over to retrieve her pistol.

"Do you happen to know if Colonel Sink is here? Or General Taylor?"

The private nodded, turning and leading her to the town. Meg put her gun away before hurrying after him.

As they wove through the town, she glanced around frantically, searching for any familiar faces. She just needed to see one man from Easy Company and she knew her mind would be put at ease. Just one man to tell her at least a part of the company was safe.

The private led her over to a group of men, all huddled together as they looked over a map on the table. At their approach, a few of the men glanced up, alerting the rest of the group to their presence.

"You made it," a familiar voice said and Meg turned to find Colonel Sink looking at her with something akin to awe. She nodded, motioning to him.

"I see you did too," she said with a smile. "Just a little late."

"Better late than never," Sink replied before turning back to the group of officers with him. "Gentlemen let me refresh your memories and introduce you all to Agent Meg Myeroff. If you'll remember, she was stationed with us at Aldbourne for a while. How long do you plan to stick around this time ma'am?"

"Just until the surrounding towns have been taken. I'm to return to England and report directly to Montgomery when that happens. They didn't know if they could trust the radios so my report is old-fashioned backup."

"Alright," Sink said before dismissing the other men. "Why don't we find you some place where you won't be in anybody's way."

"But sir, I'd like to help," Meg pleaded and Sink cut her off with a sharp look.

"Help with what? Sorry ma'am, but there's not a lot to do right now, and especially nothing in the espionage category. It's better for us if you just stay out of our way and I'll keep you informed to what's going on in the other towns."

Meg sighed in frustration as he walked away, childishly crossing her arms. Of all the men here, she expected Colonel Sink to have more appreciation for what she was capable of doing. If he didn't trust her for help, it was obvious that none of the other men would either.

A member of Sink's staff led Meg over to a tent, away from everything where she could obviously be kept out of the way. She was left there, with nothing but a stool to sit on and a view of everything going on around her.

"Miss Myeroff," a voice said roughly ten minutes later and Meg turned to find a radioman running toward her, his arm holding the receiver out. Thanking him, she took it and put it up to her ear.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice slipping to its formal tone.

"We need you to come back to Base," Adam's voice said and Meg felt relief wash through her that he was safe. But her happiness at finding he was alive could wait.

"Alright, when?" she asked.

"Immediately."

"But my orders were to wait until the towns had been taken, then to report to Montgomery in London," she said, confused. The IIA knew about these orders, why were they trying to change them?

"Yes we know, but Marco wants you to report to the IIA first. He's spoken with Montgomery and he's agreed. Am I correct in thinking injured men are already being shipping back here?"

"Uh..." Meg trailed off as she looked around for anyone who could give her confirmation. "I believe so." She was still confused as to why this was all changing. What was going on? Just like Sink, this move frustrated her. It was becoming painfully obvious that people were doubting her abilities. Hell, hand her a good weapon and she could be out there fighting with the paratroopers. Marco knew this, so the fact that he was trying to change her orders frustrated her more than Sink.

"Good, get on the first ship you can. And bring with you everything you can find out about the outcome of all this. We won't move forward with any of our plans until we look over what you've learned so far."

"Alright," Meg said before a realization hit her. "Adam?" she said quickly, hoping he hadn't cut off.

"Yeah?" he asked and she could tell from his tone that he knew she was going to ask a favor.

"Easy hasn't shown up yet..." she began and she heard him sigh.

"Meg you know Marco wouldn't approve..." Adam started before sighing again. "Alright, but as soon as they do, you're on a ship out of there. We can't hold up every operation so you can catch up with the lads."

"Thank you Adam," Meg said before handing the receiver back to the radioman.

"I hear you're heading out," Colonel Sink said, coming up to stand in front of her as the radioman disappeared. "I spoke to your brother before you did," he explained at her confused look. "I just spoke to Sergeant Meadows, the Able Company medic, and he'll take you with him when he starts taking the injured down to the ships."

"There's actually been a change in plans sir," Meg said. "I'm staying put until Easy shows up. Then I'll be on my way."

"And what exactly do you suggest you do while you're here waiting for Easy?" Sink asked and Meg was surprised to see his face looked slightly frustrated. "We don't have the resources to keep you around while you wait. We have injured coming in and out and I'm sure the tanks will be rolling in soon. You can't just sit here on your ass...excuse my language...and take up space while you wait for the men to show up."

Which is how Meg found herself wrapping a soldier's head wound two hours later. She had found work for herself helping the medics treat the wounded before sending them off.

Meg had seen her fair share of injuries before. She had even had to sew up a few of her team members in the field when the moment called for it. However, on June 6 Meg saw more bullet holes, head wounds, and mangled flesh than she had ever seen previously. Most things these men would experience would never compare to what she had witnessed in her 23 years of life but at that moment, as she padded a gash on this soldier's head and wrapped gauze around it, she realized there were some things more horrific she had yet to experience.

"Meg!" the medic she had learned was named Paul Meadows was rushing her way. "We got another group of wounded coming in. When you're finished up there I need you to go around and check on them all. We're gonna just start doing what we can but if you see something serious, call one of us over."

"Yes sir," Meg responded in full team member mode. Rushing through the building they were using as a temporary hospital, she began looking over each man laying on the floor or standing up against a wall. Then her eyes widened as she realized the trail of men continued outside.

Three hours in, Meg felt like she was covered in blood. Her pale blue dress was red down the front and both of her hands felt slippery.

"Help me," a strangled voice choked out and Meg paused, turning to search for the source. Looking to her left, she saw a wounded soldier lying on the ground, blood pouring from a wound in his stomach. Meg had to hold back a gag when she saw some of his intestines were hanging out.

"Let me see if I can find a medic," she trailed slowly, looking around. All of the medics were busy helping other wounded and none of them were nearby for her to call to.

"Please," the soldier pleaded, his voice choppy from crying. "Please help me."

Sighing, Meg settled down on the floor beside him, taking hold of his hand.

"It's going to be alright," she said, reaching up to take his helmet off his head.

He had to be younger than 20. His blonde hair was covered in dirt, as was his face, but she could tell he was young. Not knowing what else to do, she began to run the fingers of her other hand through his hair, trying her best to comfort him in any way she could. This soldier could very easily be Lew, or Harry, or George, or any of the other men from Easy. The thought hit her hard in the chest and she tried to push it from her mind as she focused on the soldier before her.

"I don't want to die," he whispered, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"You're not going to die," she found herself saying. Immediately, she felt a pang of guilt. She couldn't tell him that. Especially after seeing how serious his wound was. Still, seeing him lying there, terrified of death, she knew she couldn't say anything else.

"Promise?" he asked, his head turning so he could look her in the eyes. Seeing the fear there, she paused, nodding when she found she couldn't speak.

"What's your name private?" she asked a few seconds later.

"Thomas Jones," he said and she forced a smile, wiping a smudge of dirt off his cheek.

"I'm Meg Myeroff," she told him.

"I'm scared," he said suddenly and she nodded in understanding, moving her hand back to continue stroking his hair.

"I know sweetheart, I know," she said, not knowing what else to say.

"_Meg!"_ he suddenly cried, reaching out to clutch her hand with both of his. Panic coursed through her body as she gripped back tighter.

"You're alright Thomas," she lied, trying not to look down at his injury. She knew the sight of it would send her into a round of her own hysterics and right now she needed to be calm. She needed to comfort this soldier.

"Meg I'm so scared. I don't wanna die," he began to repeat, shaking his head back and forth as he looked up at the ceiling.

"It's alright darling," she told him, suddenly wishing she was anywhere but here. Is this how it would have been if she had been with Christian when he died?

No, don't think about that now, she told herself, putting all her focus on the dying private.

"Meg," he said again, his voice now calmer, and she looked up just in time to see his face relax slowly.

It was at that very moment that she realized her cheeks were damp and her nose was slightly stuffy. Choking back tears, she released his hand, reaching over to lay her hand across his eyes as her other hand quickly wiped away her tears.

"Miss Myeroff?" a voice asked and she turned to see a medic standing there, looking unsure.

"He's dead," she said somewhat coldly, her face becoming a mask to her emotion. Inside she was bursting, falling apart piece by piece, but on the outside she remained cool and collected, save for the tears on her cheeks.

Standing straight, she rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead, not caring if it left a trail of blood. As a man came over to lay a blanket on top of the dead private, Meg turned away, feeling too weak to look. Instead she turned her head to the left.

And saw Lew.

They noticed each other at the same time, both pausing in their actions, him with an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. Meg was quick to spot that he looked just as exhausted as she did, his face and uniform covered in dirt. He had obviously been fumbling with his lighter but opon spotting her his hands had frozen.

Not caring who they were or where they were, she started for him, weaving her way through the living and dead bodies scattered everywhere. When the obstacles were out of her way she broke into a run, not stopping as she catapulted herself into his arms.

He dropped the unlit lighter and caught her around the waist and shoulders, squeezing her tightly to him. They both stood there, hugging each other for what felt like ages. Meg buried her face in his shoulder, her heart falling somewhat when she realized he didn't smell like Lew. Instead he smelled like gunpowder, dirt, and the annoying mechanical smell of gasoline.

"Are you alright?" she finally spoke, pulling away and holding his face in both her hands, hardly believing he was real.

"I'm fine. Are you alright?" he stressed, turning the question on her.

"Yes, now that I know you're safe," she said with a smile. "I was so worried. Then when none of Easy was showing up I feared the worst and-"

Lew cut her off with a furious look.

"Where's your helmet?" he demanded, causing her to reach up to her head on impulse. Then she remembered she never had a helmet in the first place.

"What do I need a helmet for?" she asked him, confused as to why he seemed to assume she should have one. She had never worn one on missions before.

"Jesus Christ Meg," Lew said under his breath before glancing around to the people walking past them. "Can someone get this girl a helmet?" he shouted, sending a few people scurrying off in search of one.

"Really Lew, I'm perfectly fine withou-" but he cut her off again, this time with a quick kiss.

"I have to go find Dick and the rest of Easy," he said and she nodded. "Will you be here?"

"No," she said, feeling her heart fall. "They need me back at Base. I was supposed to leave hours ago but I told them I wasn't going until I had seen Easy."

"Good," Lew said and she looked at him with a frown. "You'll be safe back in England."

"Lew," Meg started but he cut her off again, this time with words.

"I know, I know, you're a big girl and you're an agent. Aren't I allowed to worry about you at all?" he finished with his signature grin. The smirk was such a sight for sore eyes that Meg smiled as she pulled him closer for another hug. Despite the unfamiliarity of his smell, it was still her Lew she was hugging. It still brought her much-needed comfort.

"Now all I'm going to do is worry about you," she whispered into his ear before they pulled away.

"Nixon," a voice said and the two of them pulled apart, turning as Lew saluted the Colonel. In the presence of the superior officer, Meg suddenly felt a pit in her stomach. They had both been too open with their greeting. After all their secrecy, it was very stupid of them to risk it all for one hug. Still, she had worried he was dead; their reunion was needed and she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Sink eyed both of them with a look of surprise before turning to his intelligence officer. Meg let loose a breath when she realized he wasn't going to say anything regarding their display.

"We've got tanks over there we want you to take to Sainte-Mère-Église. Word was sent that the rest of Easy is over there."

"Yes sir," Lew said as the Colonel turned to Meg.

"Miss Myeroff, don't you have a boat to catch?"

"Yes sir," Meg said, still blushing about the fact that he had caught them in such an intimate moment.

"Well see that you don't miss it," the Colonel finished before turning and heading back where he had come from.

"I guess that's my cue to get out of here," Meg said and Lew nodded, putting his hand out to wipe a smudge of blood off her cheek.

"Stay safe kid," he said and she nodded, reaching her hand up to rest on top of his still on her cheek.

"You too. If I find out you've gotten yourself killed, I'll bring you back from the dead and kill you myself," she told him seriously.

Lew merely winked at her before turning and heading in the direction of the tanks.

"Lew!" Meg called after him, causing him to stop and turn to look at her. She ran to him and jumped into his arms again, giving him a solid kiss on the lips. "I love you," she said softly as she pulled away.

"I love you too," he said back before they separated and he started walking again.

"Lew!" Meg called once more and he turned to her with a teasing roll of his eyes.

"If we don't get on our way, we're really going to get in trouble," he called to her, the distance between them far enough that normal voices wouldn't suffice.

"Tell the rest of Easy I said 'hello'," she shouted as a tank drove behind him, making her wonder if he had even heard her request.

He saluted her with a grin before turning and continuing on his way.

Meg watched him until he rounded the corner of a building and was out of sight. Then she turned and headed in the opposite direction.

She had a ship to catch.

* * *

_For anyone who doesn't know, "merci beaucoup" means "thank you very much" in French. Yay, those five years of French classes paid off!_

_**Rose2621 -** Thanks so much for her review! And I'm glad her longing moved you. It's awesome when readers tell me they actually feel emotionally attached to my characters so that means a lot to me! As an avid reader, I know that I've only ever gotten very attached to the characters when the book is captivating and the writing is excellent so this is seriously the best compliment I could get! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Thanks for your review! I'm glad my updates make your day :) On the topic of your friend, that sucks but I'm sure she'll get over it. It seems like a petty annoyance that will go away over time (hopefully it already has!) If she's your best friend, hopefully she'll put her anger aside when she realizes how much more important your friendship is than that one single word. And yes, love does suck. A lot._

_**SparkELee -** Thanks for your unnamed review! haha. AND for motivating me to get this out! Honestly, the thing's been done for the past week (save for a couple paragraphs) so the only reason I was waiting to publish at 10 was out of laziness and wanting to stay consistent hahaha. This chapter had a lot more of that "real world" that you mentioned in your review. Kind of a slap in the face for Meg there. And you're totally right. When I was deciding what jewelry she was going to get, I was looking for something that represented her, but in actuality I picked something that represented their relationship as well. I'm so smart and I don't even know it! But I guess since Meg is such a large part of their relationship, it's only obvious that they reflect each other. And I'm glad you liked the letters, because honestly, I added them in last second because I felt something else was needed. The chapter just didn't seem to flow, but I was worried people would be able to tell they were last minute and would think they didn't fit right haha. Like I mentioned to the reviewer above (and to you many times I'm sure!) hearing that readers feel emotionally attached to my characters is probably the best compliment I could ever get. Thanks lots!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue -** I'm glad you thought that scene was adorable. It was hard to write because I was worried it would come across to cheesy, the whole 'him buying her gifts' thing is such a cliche for all affair stories so I wanted to make sure it didn't fall right in the pile with the rest of them. Haha and I forget he's married too. Sometimes my editor/roomie has to remind me when she reads over my writing. She's all "Katie are you sure this would happen this way...remember he's married!" Seriously, some of her notes on the topic of his marital status still make me crack up haha. And yeah, he has a kid. I couldn't find any info on the name, but I know in the show it's mentioned when he gets the letter from his wife wanting a divorce. Oooo and I like your costume! I love all those clothing eras haha. I wish I had lived back then. And it's totally easier to talk to strangers. I used to go to see a counselor weekly when I was in college and honestly, I'd spend most of the hour talking on and on about boys and friends and parties etc. I'm sure she found it entertaining/annoying hahaha. Thanks for the review!_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Thanks for liking (and reviewing) the chapter! As I mentioned above, I was nervous about the bracelet scene being too cheesy so I'm glad you liked it. Haha does that really happen to you at cadets? I just envision her as 1) she's the only woman. 2) because of that I'm sure she can get bossy in the meetings so her opinions are heard. 3) she knows what she's talking about. I just feel like all of that in a woman was dangerous back then haha. It's almost like a woman announcing it's "that time of the month." Men don't know how to handle it so it's best to just get out of the way! And yeah, I want Captain Norris to be fired too haha. Thanks again for the review!_


	19. I'm Perfectly Fine

_Hey all my pretty ladies! (and handsome gentlemen, if I happen to have any of those reading...) It's that time of the week again! Woot woot!_

_So, first of all I must tell you all that my football team won! AND my crush's team won too! We all know what that means for tomorrow... *wink* *wink* AND my friends convinced me to text him and bet him a drink at the local bar that my team won. I did, figuring he wouldn't text back (either because he deleted my number of because he knew it was me and didn't want to answer haha) anyway he replied! And he said we're on for the bet! ...Now I just need to figure out what to wear. What does one wear to a high school football team when their crush coaches for the opponent? Hmmm..._

_Did everyone watch Band of Brothers on tv Sunday? (Or Monday or Tuesday?) I did! And it gave me a HUGE burst of inspiration. I watched about 5 1/2 hours of the show (I wanted to watch more but my parents kept asking me to randomly help them with stuff in the yard or the barn ugh), and during that 5 1/2 hours I wrote an additional 8,000 words for this story! I must be insane!_

_Anyway, here's the next chapter. No Lew :( and kinda just a filler, but at the same time some important stuff is mentioned etc, so I guess that kinda makes it not a filler? haha whatever..._

* * *

**Chapter eighteen**

The journey back to London was not a pleasant one for Meg. Other than a few medics and the ship's crew, she was the only person on board who wasn't seriously injured. Every minute of her journey was filled with the sounds of wounded and dying men, the moans and cries echoing off the metal walls of the ship.

Her days were spent curled up in a corner of the ship, practically clenching her hands over her ears. She wished she could go outside, but the weather was too foul, so she was kept indoors.

Her nights were agony. She rarely found herself able to fall asleep and when she did, her mind was filled with nightmares.

She kept replaying her few minutes with Private Jones as he slowly died in her arms. Sometimes her dreams would distort the incident, replacing the young private with different members of Easy Company, with her brother, with Lew. She often woke herself with a sob, coming back to reality and realizing she was alone on the ship. There was no one to comfort her and tell her they were just bad dreams. In the small confines of her quarters on the ship, she felt like she was back in Level 3 and it was driving her insane.

With nothing else to occupy her thoughts, sometimes her mind drifted the Level 3. She knew she had been a mess; a shell of a person when she had returned to the IIA after that mission all those months ago. Still, she couldn't help but look over it all now and wonder if sending her to Level 3 had been Marco's best decision. When someone was a crumbling mess of a human being, you didn't send them to the solitary confinement ward of the Agency. You didn't refuse them human contact with the exception of their doctor. And you most certainly didn't keep that up on a daily basis for as long as Marco had.

Maybe it had seemed like the best idea at the time, but now Meg wasn't so sure. Perhaps if she had been out in the world, coping with her pain as it happened, she would know how to handle all of this now.

Instead, her time was spent in mental torture, replaying everything over and over in her head with no one to help her get over it.

Not soon enough for her, the ship docked on the shores of England. Meg was the first one off the ship, practically running as if her life depended on it. There were few situations she couldn't handle in her life, and being on that ship was one of them. If she had her way, she'd be as far away from it as possible, even if it meant running on her own two feet.

"Hello to you too," a voice said to her right as she hurried down the street. Sliding to a stop, she turned before catapulting herself into Adam's arms. At the impact, he let lose a laugh, holding her close. As he held her, she broke lose a sob, letting the tears flow into the shoulder of his shirt.

"Meg?" Adam asked, his voice filled with confusion, his whole demeanor changing when he realized something was wrong.

It took her a moment to respond. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back and wiped her eyes quickly, plastering on a fake smile.

"I'm just so happy to see you," she lied through her teeth, something Adam caught onto right away. He took a step back as well, crossing his arms over his chest and giving her a look; a look which said _don't shit with me._

"You're so happy to see me that you ran off the ship with a look of terror on your face and then sobbed into my shoulder?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"It wasn't terror," she argued as she got into the jeep parked beside them. "It was disgust. You have no idea how awful that ship smelled."

She had to lie; it was in her best interests. If Adam knew how much she had been affected by everything, he would tell Marco. If Marco knew, he'd order an evaluation, an evaluation Meg knew she couldn't pass. And if she didn't pass it, it would be right back to Level 3 for her. When she stepped out of the level doors all those months ago, she swore to herself she would never go back. Even if she had to hide her true emotions and inner turmoil, she was never going to allow herself to be placed in Level 3 ever again.

"Well come on, don't we have to get back to base?" she asked and Adam gave her one last worried look before starting the engine and pulling off down the road.

It only took them a half hour to get to base from the dock. After that it only took Meg another hour until she was able to fill Marco in on everything that had happened since the invasion in Normandy.

The meeting was confidential, open only to Marco, Adam, and Marco's secretary. As the other woman took notes, Meg relayed everything, telling them which towns had been taken by the time of her departure and which would have likely fallen since then. They all listened closely, the two men occasionally jotting down notes of their own as Meg continued to rattle off cities, companies, and locations.

The time was mostly spent looking over maps as Meg relayed which towns had been taken and which would most likely be taken in the coming days. Because of her quick departure from Normandy, she wasn't able to give them as much information as they all would have liked, instead focusing on the what-ifs and most likely scenarios.

She tried not to speak too highly of Easy Company, worried Marco and Adam would raise their eyebrows at her, but it was hard when they were already mentioned so much. She knew Easy Company was considered the best company in the 101st, but after seeing the stats and information from D-Day written down, she knew this was absolutely true.

"If that's all, I need to be heading off to London," Meg said when the meeting was finished, helping to roll up some of the maps they had scoured over. Seeing her cue, the secretary ducked out, leaving the other three alone.

As she tied the maps, Meg became painfully aware of the two men watching her intently. Glancing up, she caught Adam's eye and he quickly looked away.

"Actually Meg, I want you to head down to Dr. Richards'," Marco said casually, almost as if it was a simple, everyday request. Meg knew better though. She paused, a map half-rolled, as she glanced at him with suspicion in her eyes.

"Why? As you can tell I'm perfectly fine."

"It's just a routine check Meg. If Dr. Richards thinks you're fine, then you're fine. We'll discuss your next mission when you're done."

Glancing quickly at Adam, she knew his look meant she was on her own. Realizing she had been dismissed, Meg stood with a sigh, storming out of the room and down to Dr. Richards' office.

What a bother.

* * *

Dr. Richards was a pleasant man, something which bothered Meg immensely. He was responsible for initially sending her to Level 3 and she felt someone with that job should be a little more formal. She would have liked the man who held her fate in his hands to not be so damn polite about it all.

"It's just a routine check," she repeated to herself as she made her way to his office. She had done enough missions and faced Marco and Adam enough to know how to cover her true emotions. There was no reason the doctor would suspect she'd been having nightmares, or know how traumatized she still was whenever she accidentally pictured Christian in Private Jones' place. Her nightmares had changed, focusing on this incident now, instead of the other one. Still, the characters were the same, and it was somewhat more terrifying for her.

"Ah, Meg," Dr. Richards said when she walked into his office and she stopped, startled. She had been so deep in thought she hadn't realized she was already at his office. She had hoped to spend an extra few minutes outside, preparing her mask of emotion. Now she was here and it was too late to turn around. She'd have to mask quickly.

Mask quickly and hope this check only lasted the routine hour.

* * *

"I'm sorry, what?" Meg asked the doctor, leaning forward against his desk. Unlike her first visit after her meeting with Marco, this time the doctor was avoiding eye contact. "Dr. Richards," she said with a chuckle. "Can we perhaps do a hearing check? I thought I just heard you say I was unfit for combat," she told him, secretly hoping she was correct and he was wrong.

"That's because I did Meg," the young doctor said, sitting down in his seat as he looked through a rather thick file.

She had been back at the IIA for exactly one week, and was under the assumption that she had passed the doctor's check when they met the day she got back. Now here she was being told otherwise, something she found absolutely preposterous.

"But that's ridiculous. How could you assess that? I'm perfectly fine," she argued, hoping the doctor hadn't heard the small quiver in her voice. Suddenly she wished she'd thought to put some makeup on. She knew her lack of sleep was causing circles under her eyes and it probably wasn't helping her case much.

"You're not fine Meg," Dr. Richards said, shuffling through her file. "We've been monitoring you for the past week, per Marco's request. You don't sleep soundly, you have regular nightmares, and honestly we're just worried about you."

"I'm fine," Meg repeated more firmly. "I want to be a part of this. I need to be a part of this. What are you going to have me do otherwise, filing?"

"Yes. We're sending you out of the field for the time being. You'll be doing the paperwork side of the job."

"Yeah because that'll make me go less crazy," Meg said sarcastically. "This is all Marco's doing isn't it? Damn him."

At her frustrated statement, Dr. Richards closed the file and set it on his desk, leaning forward and finally looking at her, his eyes a mixture of compassion and regret. She hated it.

"Meg he's just worried, and he has every right to be. These stats don't lie. And it's not so much solitary confinement as a getaway. Besides it won't be all play."

Meg simply raised her eyebrows, indicating she was listening.

"We have agents in the field who need to have correspondence with us. However, as you know, if we were to start getting handfuls of letters to our mail address things would get suspicious."

"So I'll be decoding," she finished, realizing what he was saying.

"More or less. We're sending you back to Aldbourne. Military correspondence to a military base won't raise as much suspicion. Besides, with the men gone it will be relatively empty. I'm sure there will be new recruits training there but not nearly as many as before. It'll be almost like a holiday," he added with a chuckle.

"Are we done?" Meg asked harshly, causing the doctor to stop smiling and look at her. "If I'm heading back to Aldbourne I need to go pack."

"Yes you're dismissed," the doctor said, motioning for her to get up. Without a backward glance, Meg headed out the door, hoping her unsteady breathing wouldn't be detected.

If so, the doctor would probably add it to her overly-large file.

* * *

Meg learned quickly that she had taken advantage of her previous time in Aldbourne. She had spent a lot of time in her quarters, reading or spending time with Adam when she should have been spending time with the boys. It's not as if she never spent time with them; her weekends at the pub could attest to that; but suddenly she wished she'd spent more time with them.

Now she was here and they weren't and she knew the next few weeks were going to be completely unbearable.

Each morning she was given a rather large handful of letters. Because each agent used a different code, she had an entire codebook she had to riffle through, looking for the correct one they used and then decoding it. Then she made three piles: high importance, some importance, and little importance.

The information of high importance was compiled into a letter she then recoded and sent off to Base daily. The information of some importance was amassed over a week and then sent, and little importance was kept to the side, only if she needed to use them again, or if something became relevant.

Over the course of the month she was able to pick up some more information of Easy Company. She was quick to notice they were mentioned most out of the other companies, and that they seemed to be involved in the most front line combat. This made her proud, especially because she knew so many members. They had become somewhat of a family to her and hearing that they were becoming just as respected by everyone else, she swelled with sisterly pride.

She silently applauded their success at Carentan on the 13 of June. She wished she had been there to congratulate them in person, but she knew her silent wishes would have to do. Besides, with her stationed at Aldbourne, hopefully the men would return here if they had time off the lines. Hopefully she would see them again soon.

Thoughts of seeing them also made her stomach drop. Would she see all of them? The odds did not seem to be in favor of that idea, especially with their constant successes. Battles did not come without casualties on both sides and Meg knew at least one member of Easy Company had most likely already met their untimely end. Would it be George? Joe? She hadn't heard from Lew in weeks so she silently prayed it wasn't him. She didn't know what she would do if Lew was killed in battle and their last moment together had been that brief greeting in France.

* * *

On July 1 Meg received a letter in the mail addressed specifically to her. Smiling when she recognized the handwriting, she rushed back to her quarters, eager to open it.

_Meg,_

_ I hope Aldbourne's treating you well. I heard Marco sent you there and I know you're probably frustrated but consider it relaxation time. This war won't be ending anytime soon and if I know you, you'll be fit for duty in no time. When I was up at Base before my last orders Marco told me he was planning something big for you. He wouldn't go into details (and even if he could I couldn't write them to you anyway, even with our code) but expect to be getting orders soon. Also don't let him know I told you, he'll tear me a new one if he found out._

_ The main purpose for this letter is actually two other reasons. First, I've been stationed with the 101st. I'm working directly with the intelligence side of things and before you ask, yes I'm working with Lieutenant Nixon. And speaking of Nixon, little birdies have been telling me things about you and the Lieutenant. We'll discuss that when I come back._

_ Speaking of coming back, I met up with the 101st as they were being pulled off the frontlines. The men haven't been told yet, but they're shipping us back to Aldbourne for a while until they decide what to do with us again. I thought I'd give you fair warning so we didn't surprise you with our arrival. I know how you women can get, so this gives you plenty of time to pick out a nice dress and make sure your hair looks good._

_ I'm constantly getting asked about you Meg. Mostly from the Easy men. It amazes me how you were able to get all these men wrapped around your finger when you were barely with them for weeks at a time! I'm also happy because I know how hard it has been for you to become attached to people. Seeing all these men ask about you, I know you've gotten over that problem somewhat, and I know I'm not the only man who looks out for you. Of course, if it turns out all of these men are sweet on you, I may have to get over my happy feelings and let a few punches fly. I am still your only brother; it's my duty to act this way._

_ Nixon sends his regards. Apparently he's been writing letters to you but he didn't know how to send them to you since you're no longer stationed in London so they've built up. I told him you've been getting enough mail the last few weeks and that it would look suspicious if an enemy got a hold of 10 letters addressed to Meg Myeroff at Aldbourne. Don't shoot me when you get back. I'm doing it for your own good. There's something you should know about the Lieutenant, something I don't want to tell you through post._

_ For now I'll just say I'm excited to see you in a couple weeks' time. Make sure to have a nice cup of tea waiting, these Yanks don't appreciate it as much as we do._

_ Lots of love,_

_ Adam_

Meg groaned in annoyance, throwing the letter aside.

She knew Adam was just going to tell her Lew was married. The man wore his wedding ring for Christ's sake; it wasn't that hard to figure out. She understood that Adam wanted to continue to play the big brother role, but she was a grown woman and if she wanted to have an affair with a married man, then God damnit she was going to have an affair with a married man! There was nothing Adam, or anyone else for that matter, could say to sway her otherwise.

It had taken her so long to become comfortable with all of this, she wasn't going to turn around and let Adam force her out of it with a few words. Besides, hadn't he said he was pleased to see her becoming attached to people again? If she had attached to anyone in the last few months, it was Lewis Nixon and there was no way Adam would tear her apart like that.

Setting all those thoughts aside, Meg willed herself to be excited by the rest of the letter.

The men were coming back to Aldbourne! She wouldn't be alone anymore, and she would be with her favorite people after being away from them for so long.

* * *

_It's been a while since I've asked, so tell me what you think! I'd like to know what's going on in your pretty/handsome little heads as you're reading what I've written. Also, root for my team to win this big football game tomorrow! GO TOPPERS!_

_**Rose2621 -** Thanks for the review! I'm glad you thought the reunion was well written. I redid parts of this chapter so much, but that was the one part I refused to change under any circumstance, so I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoyed it haha. Hope you liked this chapter as well._

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** I'm glad the problem with your friend is gone! One of my closest friends lives in a different time zone too haha. It always confuses me when she's all "I can't believe I have to stay at work until 6 tonight." and I'm all "Gretchen...it's almost 7...oh yeah time difference" hahahahaha. Yeah, Meg can totally vouch for the "love sucks" thing lol, but I think her reasons for love sucking are much different than ours, although I don't think I'd fancy being in her situation either. I'm glad you liked the letters! My first draft didn't have any letters (that I remember) and I've added them all in this time around. Thanks so much for your review!_

_**SparkELee -** I'm sure everyone thanks you haha, especially judging by how high my readership was the first day, just by publishing 40 minutes early! I agree, I think her suffering is a little more evident in this chapter. It's slowly been creeping forward, but in this chapter it kinda hits. I'm glad you think they're realistic. I was worried I hadn't put them in enough so phew! As for the whole Normandy invasion, you have NO idea how long I sat there trying to think of what she was supposed to be doing. I wrote everything with her over there, then at the top of the section I had something in all caps that was like WTF IS SHE DOING HERE!? FIGURE OUT A REASON WHY SHE WOULD BE HERE or something like that hahaha. And yeah, the dying soldier scene got me too haha. I originally had it shorter and insignificant but I was like, hold up, would this be insignificant to you? Would it be insignificant to Meg? Hell no! And did you like that catapult? I thought it was too perfect an opportunity to pass up haha. I totally kept replaying that in my mind, so that's kinda what the whole Normandy scene was revolved around: that brief moment of her running to him haha. Also, I LOVE that you love Meg! She's become a big part of me these last few weeks, and I'm a large part of her as well, so that makes me happy haha. As for the one or two chapters without Lew, I think you'll be happy to know he's back next chapter. Shhh, don't tell anyone haha. I don't like giving secrets away lol. Thanks for your, as always, amazing review! Enjoy your pants!_

_**paintmyworlddarkblue -** Yay reunions! I'm glad you thought the helmet scene was adorable haha. I think, when watching the series, adorable isn't really a word many would use to describe Nix, so I tried to play up that side a bit in my story. And I know what you mean about not knowing the right word to describe that scene. I still can't even describe that scene haha. Ahh I'm so glad you're curious about the Christian thing! I've done my job well! Don't worry, it WILL be explained...it just might be a bit. And I wish I lived in a different era too. I'd probably fit best in the 40s, although I wouldn't mind the 20s or 30s either. My friend calls me his 1950s housewife because I always clean the bar he owns and bake him food etc. My other friend calls me a step back for feminism hahahaha. As for the counselor, I'd wait until college. Most schools offer it free with tuition and they're nice just to talk to. Plus, it's good to go see one when you're feeling fine because then you build that relationship so if/when you do get bummed, they know you and know what to say/do to help. Thanks for your review!_

_**onebyone -** so funny story. I was reading your story yesterday and I was thinking "This story is so good, I need to get this author to read MY story...maybe I'll mention it when I review..." and then I happened to look at the top of the chapter and was like "Oh! I recognize that name! They've totally reviewed my story!" hahahahahaha. And believe me, I totally understand the not reviewing as much as one should thing. I probably review 20% of the time. It's awful, I know haha. I'm trying to make myself better at it. And stop making me blush! I'm flattered you admire my writing; it means a lot to me to hear that. You're a great writer too! I can't wait to read your next chapter! I hope you enjoyed mine! Thanks for your review._


	20. A Sight For Sore Eyes

_HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY! (And for those of you who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, HAPPY THURSDAY!)_

_This past week has been pretty ridic, and I was worried that when you combined all that with Thanksgiving, I wouldn't get this chapter out in time... We currently have my mom's entire side of the family at our house and everyone's stuffed from the HUGE Thanksgiving dinner we had...ughhhhhh food coma haha. Also, because of this, no judgement on any mistakes in this chapter hahaha_

_Side note, I did NOT win the bet on Friday. Chad's team beat my team like, 35 to 13 or something like that. He texted me after the game to remind me I owed him a beer, so I texted back asking when...and no reply. He's known as the worst texter in the world among his old fraternity brothers so Saturday afternoon I tried calling to see if we could set up a time...and nothing. Hopefully he responds soon, but poor luck haha._

_Anyway, it's story time!_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

The anticipation of Easy Company's arrival nearly killed Meg. She rearranged her quarters so she could sit near the window and look out, keeping an eye for any sign of movement. She also tried to spend as much time as possible in Colonel Sink's old office. She did all her decoding there, her ears perked for any noise that the 101st was back. Adam's letter hadn't mentioned when, only that they would be returning. She knew it had to be happening soon, otherwise they wouldn't have informed Adam of it, but when there was a war going on, time was different. For all she knew, the orders had changed and they wouldn't be coming back to Aldbourne at all!

Those thoughts terrified her the most. She was practically driving herself even more insane here at Aldbourne. Unlike the men of the 101st, the current men stationed at Aldbourne didn't know what to think of her. For the most part they avoided her, only involving her in a conversation when they had to. She knew the men of Easy Company were extremely friendly with her, but she didn't realize just how friendly they were until she was given the cold shoulder by a similar group of soldiers.

Her days were spent decoding letter after letter. When she had downtime, which was rare, she'd often head to the shooting range and practice her aim. At least the current CO was kind enough to let her try her hand at different guns they had on base.

Still, if the men of Easy Company didn't return to her soon, she was probably going to go completely out of her mind.

Finally, what she had been waiting for came on July 13. She was sitting in the Colonel's office, typing her daily letter to the IIA when she heard footfalls outside. Those footfalls were followed by more...and more. Meg knew there wasn't any reason for all the men currently stationed at Aldbourne to be walking on that street at the same time; they were out doing a field exercise that would take all afternoon. Rising from the chair, she walked out the front door, a large grin stretching across her face when she recognized some of the men walking past her.

"Meg!" a voice shouted and she laughed as Joe Toye pulled her into a hug, lifting her up and swinging her around. It was a similar action to what he had done months ago on New Year's Eve and it made her even happier than she had been at their arrival. "You're a sight for sore eyes!"

"So are you," she replied as he set her back down. "I've been going crazy here by myself for the past month."

"Well we'll just have to make up for lost time," Bill said, walking forward to pull her into a hug. "Hiya sweetheart."

Meg smiled, pulling back and giving them all a kiss on the cheek, giving George an extra squeeze as she hugged him tightly.

They all looked different somehow, but she couldn't put a finger on it. What she did recognize, however, was the reasoning behind it. When she had last seen them, the men of Easy had been unaffected by war. They had been innocent and carefree, unaware of what was looming in their future.

Now they were the opposite. If she had to pick one word to describe it, she would say harder. They seemed harder to her, almost as if all the fighting and bloodshed had hardened them to reality. Still, there was no questioning the twinkle in their eyes as they relaxed at the sight of home.

It was weird to refer to Aldbourne as home, but for the past year that's what it had been. Even though she had been here for less time than them, Meg also thought of Aldbourne as a secondary home, she had spent so much time here in the past.

"I'm so glad you all are alright," she said as Muck, Penkala, and Malarkey joined them. "Did we lose anybody?"

The boys smirked at each other at her use of the word "we." While previously her ability to hide emotion had left them wondering, now there was no denying it: Meg Myeroff cared about them just as much as they all cared about her.

"Uh, none that you would know," Malarkey thought for a moment before responding, and immediately Meg felt a sigh of relief wash through her. Her fears over the past few weeks had not come true. Still, she felt slightly saddened that her favorite men had had to experience the loss of some of their fellow soldiers. Just because she didn't know the ones killed didn't mean they hadn't.

"Tipper, Blythe, Popeye all got injured though," George added.

"And Talbert, don't forget him," Muck said and Meg's eyes widened.

"What happened to Floyd?" she asked, wondering why they had only mentioned him as an afterthought.

"Smith stabbed him with his bayonet," Liebgott explained casually and Meg gasped. "Don't worry, he's fine. Just got a few more holes in 'im," he added quickly and Meg sighed. Injured wasn't preferred, but injured was better than killed. Injured meant there was still a chance, and judging by the way the lads were reacting to George's statement, Meg thought the men mentioned had pretty good odds.

"Well hopefully they're alright. I'm just glad you boys are in front of me right now," she said as she pulled both George and Joe back to her. They were standing the closest and she needed to feel the comfort of hugging them. She needed to know it wasn't all a dream. "We'll have to go out tomorrow night and celebrate."

"For sure we will," Bill said. "And you'll be celebrating with us right? None of those higher ups or anything." Meg rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder playfully. "I just ask because you know, we hear things," he explained with a smirk and a few of the guys chuckled.

"Things?" Meg asked, and the boys all nodded, causing her stomach to fall slightly. "Things like what?" she added cautiously.

"Like how word's gone round that you and Lieutenant Nixon were getting cozy on D-Day," George said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, acting as if this was normal conversation.

Meg laughed, brushing the accusation off.

"That was just a spur of the moment thing. It could have been anybody," she said, thinking fast. "I had just spent the last three hours ripping bullets out of soldiers and I hadn't heard a thing about any of you. Then there he was and I knew at least some of you would be alright."

"I dunno what pisse-er, annoys me more," Joe Toye started, throwing Meg an apologetic look at his slip up. "The fact that you chose to get cozy with Nixon, or the fact that you were in Normandy on D-Day and the rest of us didn't see you."

At his statement, the other men added their own opinions, mostly in the form of "yeah!"

"For the record," Meg started, trying not to grin as widely as she wanted. They were mad they hadn't seen her! "For the record," she repeated as they quieted down, "I tried to stay and see you lads, but I was called back to England and was told I had to get on the first ship out. I begged with everyone I could but Colonel Sink refused it. I saw Nixon right as I was being sent to board the ship."

"Whatever," Muck said, waving it off. "We've got our eyes on you missy."

Meg was about to shoot something back at him when out of the corner of her eye she spotted Adam walking their way. He looked healthier than she thought he would, but then again he was used to this type of thing. Still, she couldn't help feeling her stomach swell when she caught sight of the deep look in his eyes.

"Excuse me," she said to the men as she walked past them all and ran up to her brother, grabbing his shoulders to look him over.

"Meg," Adam said, laughing, the deep look disappearing as happiness replaced them.

"You're alright," she said, looking at him before pulling him in for a tight hug. "Thank God you're alright. You have no idea how worried I've been."

When they separated, Meg was surprised to see a small scowl on Adam's face.

"What's with the sudden rush of caring? You never used to be this worried about me on missions before," he said and she shrugged.

"Missions and wars are two different things," Meg replied as she looked at the rest of the men, fishing for a certain face.

Finally spotting Dick's tall head of red hair, she knew Lew would be close by. As she moved to swerve around Adam, he caught her wrist, holding her back.

"Meg we have to talk," he said, his eyes switching from Lew to her. Meg sighed, turning to face her brother. She had hoped this discussion would be held in private but it looked like it was going to be held now.

"Anything you have to say I probably already know," she said and now it was Adam who sighed, running a hand down his face.

"So you know he's married then?" he asked and she nodded slowly. "And that doesn't bother you at all?"

"Well of course it bothers me," she practically shouted at him. "But aren't I allowed to have a little happiness after all this time?"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt, and that's the only way it can end Meg. He's _married_, he has a kid; _that's_ who he'll go to when this is all over."

"You don't know that," she said softly but Adam gave her a knowing look. "I'm not having this discussion now," she announced, silently crumbling. Why was Adam doing this to her? Why was he acting this way, and in public for Christ's sake?

Turning on her heel, she rushed away from Adam and toward where she had spotted Dick, craning her neck to see where the tall Lieutenant had gone. She frowned when she spotted him, quickly noticing he was limping.

"What happened?" she asked, ignoring Lew for the time being as she turned to Dick.

"Ricochet," he explained but she had suddenly noticed something on his uniform.

"Captain huh?" she asked, winking at him. "Congratulations." Before he could respond, she turned to the man she had been eagerly awaiting. "Lieutenant," she said, holding back every last piece of her that was dying to jump into his arms. She crossed her wrists behind her back, her need to hug him was too strong.

"Meg," Lew said with a nod and a wink. From his stance, she could tell he was antsy too. Dick rolled his eyes before limping forward.

"I doubt you'll be missed for the next ten minutes," he said to Lew as he walked past them.

"My place," Meg said before turning and heading in that direction. She knew Lew would take the quicker route and sure enough, she saw him walking through the door just as she was approaching. Looking around to make sure no one was looking, she jogged the last few feet, rushing through the doorway and coming to a stop.

If Meg ever doubted how much Lew really loved her, those feelings left when she saw him standing there waiting for her. They both broke out into ridiculous grins as she closed the gap between them, reaching up to look him over, similar to what she had done to her brother.

And just like with Adam, Lew laughed at the action.

"Meg, I'm fine," he said but she ignored him, checking to make sure there weren't even any holes in his uniform. Finally satisfied, she took his cheeks in her hands and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I was so worried, and then you never sent any letters-"

"Neither did you," Lew added but she rolled her eyes. "Besides, Adam told me not to send you anything because you had enough on your plate."

"Let's not talk about Adam right now," she said and Lew knew from her tone not to push the matter. "All that matters now is that you're here, I'm here, and we're both safe."

"I missed you so much," Lew said as he pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. Meg smiled, feeling giddy. Hearing Lew say that made her know that he really did love her as much as she loved him.

"I missed you too. London feels so long ago."

"Four months is a long time apart," Lew agreed, placing a kiss on her neck.

"We haven't really been apart for four months-" Meg started but Lew cut her off with a kiss.

"I don't count our five minute meeting in Normandy," he told her and she nodded, kissing him again. "I probably have to report to Colonel Sink," he said against her lips, making no other move to leave.

"Alright," Meg said, not making a move to go either.

When another five minutes had passed with neither breaking the kiss, Meg finally pulled away.

"Did Sink say anything to you by the way?" she asked, adding "about our reunion in Normandy," when he looked at her questioningly.

"He gave me a few solid looks but nothing other than that," he told her and she smirked. "Besides, there's not really anything he can say anyway."

"There is if you're late," she reminded him. "I don't want to go getting you in trouble," she added with a chuckle. "The boys have already mentioned our little display in Normandy."

"After I give a few of them latrine duty they won't mention it anymore," Lew said but Meg knew he was joking. "Alright, I'm off. Will I see you later?"

"I dunno," Meg said with a shrug. "Adam picked up on the gossip and he's not very happy about this."

Lew sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Did you really expect anything else?" she asked and he nodded, giving her the point. "He doesn't really have any authority over me but if he gets Marco involved things could get ugly."

"Well we don't want that to happen," Lew said, placing another quick kiss on her lips. "If you happen to be able to get away around say, midnight tonight and can meet me outside the mess, I'm sure no one would find out."

"Just like no one would find out about you carrying me home?" she asked and they both chuckled. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. If I'm not there by 12:30, go back to bed. Lord knows you need a good night's sleep."

Lew leaned in for one last kiss, making it last longer than it should. Then with a tip of his hat he turned and left, leaving her slightly breathless.

Apparently, that was how it was always going to be with him.

"I wish you'd stop looking at me like that," Meg said rather harshly, not looking up from her mirror where she was pinning up her hair for the night.

Adam sighed, sitting up to face her better from where he was laying on his bed.

"I'm just worried about you," he said. "You have no idea the rumors I heard while I was over there."

"What kind of rumors?" she asked, trying to be nonchalant about it and hoping Adam wouldn't see how miserably she was falling at it. One word from him to Marco and she could be pulled out of Aldbourne for good.

"Well I already knew Nixon and Welsh visited you in London so that was no surprise," Adam started, lying back down. "But then I heard Nixon spent his last 48-hour pass there with you...alone. When you add that rumor to the one of you two from D-Day it certainly makes things seem pretty serious."

"You should trust me to be smart," Meg said but she knew what she was doing with Lew was probably the stupidest thing she had ever done.

"Where'd you get that necklace?" Adam asked suddenly and Meg stopped, pausing in the middle of putting in her last pin. "And that bracelet. The only jewelry I've ever seen you wear before is Mother's wedding band."

"They're just things I've had lying around," Meg said casually as she checked to make sure all of her hair was tightly wound. She didn't want one part to be curlier than the other come morning. Another reason for this action was so she could hide her fingers in her hair. If Adam noticed the one piece of jewelry she _wasn't_ wearing was their mother's ring, he'd likely overreact.

"Meg," Adam said in a warning tone, causing her to pale. "They're from him aren't they?"

Her silence was all he needed.

"You know I think you're being stupid."

"I know," Meg said, wondering how much she was going to get yelled at. She glanced at the clock. It was already 11:30 so she hoped Adam didn't go on for too long. She had to meet Lew.

"Well," Adam said, drawing the word out and making Meg glance up at him through her mirror. "I guess you're too old for me to forbid you from seeing him. You're a grown woman who's done a lot more than other women her age...I can't really tell you what you can and can't do."

Meg spun around in her chair, looking at her brother.

"Just be careful alright?" he asked, smiling softly at her. "I doubt the US Army would appreciate me killing one of their men."

"So you mean you're alright with this?" Meg asked, shocked by his admission.

"Not so much with this situation; I'm just alright with anything that makes you happy, even if it may not last."

Meg smiled widely, rushing from her chair to hug Adam tightly.

"Thank you," she said and he just hugged her back. The situation was somewhat childlike, and she smiled. It had been a long time since she had felt like this around her brother. Just like with the men of Easy Company, experience had hardened Meg and Adam as well. This small display of childlike affection between the two was a sweet reminder to how life used to be.

Despite Adam's acceptance, Meg still kept her meeting with Lew a secret. Pretending to fall asleep, she was glad when Adam soon retired too. Staring at the clock by her bed, she watched the minutes go by until it was midnight. Listening for her brother's even breathing, she tensed when she realized he was still awake. Hoping he'd think she was just going to the latrine, she got up and pulled on a light bathrobe and a simple pair of flats.

Meg didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she was outside, silently shutting the door behind her. It was only after she started walking down the path that she realized being so quiet might have been stupid. If Adam really was awake, he would have wondered why she was trying too hard to be quiet.

Her worry went out the door when she spotted the silhouette leaning against the wall of the Mess. Smiling to herself, she sped up her pace, coming to a stop beside the familiar figure.

"I didn't know if you were going to make it," Lew said and she reached out in the darkness to find him. When their hands brushed, she linked her fingers with his.

"I'm not sure if Adam was awake or not but I'll just say I had to use the latrine or something. He won't be suspicious."

"If that's your excuse, we don't have much time..." Lew said and even in the dark Meg could tell he was smirking.

"Then come here," she said, pulling him to her. Their lips met hungrily and Meg sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold herself up against him.

She wondered if she would always feel this way when he kissed her. Her stomach turned to something like goo and her heart seemed to splash as it dropped right into it. Her legs went weak like jelly and it took almost all of her focus to keep from sliding to a puddle on the ground.

It wasn't long before Lew decided he wanted more. Pushing Meg up against the wall slowly, he pulled his lips away from hers, trailing them down her neck to her collarbone.

"Lew," she whispered, pulling him closer to her. In response he let go of her and took her hand, dragging her inside the mess hall. Although it was nighttime outside, it was much darker inside. Meg's eyes were nowhere near adjusted when Lew picked her up and practically tossed her on a table, coming to stand at the end and hover his torso over her. Their lips attached again and Meg reached for Lew's belt.

This was no moment of romantic, intimate passion. This was a moment of need for both of them. It had been four months since they had been together; four months of waking up each day and wondering if the other was alive. Lazy, intimate kisses could wait until later. Right now they just needed each other; needed to feel each other; needed to know each other was really there in flesh and blood.

While Meg worked on Lew's trousers, Lew pulled loose her bathrobe tie, pushing both sides to her arms before tugging up her nightgown, his hands sliding up along the skin of her thighs. Meg sighed, rolling her head back and closing her eyes.

Noticing she had stopped, Lew finished with his trousers, pushing them down before grabbing her hips and pulling her to him.

When Meg moaned, Lew stopped, staying still as he kissed her to get her attention.

"Stay quiet. I could get court-martialed for this and who knows what they would do to you," he said and she kissed him back, subconsciously moving her hips against him.

"Don't stop," she whispered and he nodded his forehead against hers, picking up speed again.

Not even 10 minutes later they were both spent, leaning all their weight against the table they were on. A bead of sweat dripped down Meg's nose and Lew kissed it, reaching up to brush her damp hair away from her face. In response she stretched her arm up and ran her fingers through his short, wet hair, pushing it back.

"Remind me not to eat off this table the rest of the time we're here," Lew said breathlessly and Meg couldn't help but chuckle at the inappropriate comment.

"Well look who showed up!" a voice shouted the next night and Meg strained her neck as she moved through the crowd of men.

It was nearing 10 o'clock and she had promised the boys she would spend the night with them at the bar. Opting for the black sheath dress she had passed over on her second weekend here, she had paired it with a pair of red heels, wishing there were other women around to appreciate them. However, that small wish was fleeting; she was glad to be the favorite among the men of Easy.

"Hiya boys," she said as she sat down at the table, looking at all the paratroopers around her. Bill, Toye, Liebgott, Shifty, Malarkey, Muck, and George. All her favorites were right here, safe from harm and out of the war for the time being. For the next few nights she would be able to sleep a little more peacefully.

"Don't you look good," Bill said and Meg blushed.

"Yeah like a pinup," George said with a wink and Meg knew her blush was deepening.

"But tonight you're our pinup," Toye specified as he set down his beer. "Not the officers'."

"Yes yes, I've already been informed I'm only allowed to stay with you boys tonight," Meg said with a roll of her eyes. "But that only works if I have a constant flow of alcohol within my reach."

Immediately three glasses were pushed forward, causing her to laugh.

"I missed you boys," she teased as she picked up a beer and took a deep gulp.

"The feeling's mutual," Bill told her and she smiled at him.

It felt like they'd never left.

"So then, right when he's getting ready to leave, Winters leans over and goes 'Hey Bill, I'm not a Quaker!'" Malarkey said, finishing his story and causing everyone at the table to burst into laughter, whether they'd heard the story before or not.

Meg was laughing so hard, she had tears in her eyes. Gasping for air, her eyes flicked around the room and landed immediately on Lew. It seemed as if her ability to pick him out in a crowd hadn't changed in the last few months.

He grinned when he saw her catch his eye, tipping his whiskey glass in greeting. Meg smiled and sent a small wave his way.

Wrong move.

"I saw that," George whispered next to her and Meg quickly dropped her hand, embarrassed at being caught. "Let's dance," George suddenly announced, pulling her from the table before she had time to protest.

He led her onto the somewhat empty floor and quickly pulled her to him. As they swayed to the music, Meg could tell by his attitude that he wanted to say something. It didn't take long before she was proven right.

"I understand that you and Nixon are sweet on each other," he started and she leant back lightly to look at him, "but come on Meg, be a little less obvious."

If this was Adam telling her this, she would have shot back a witty retort. Hell, if Nixon had told her something similar in a different situation, she probably would have responded the same way. This was George though, so instead she found herself actually bowing her head in embarrassment.

"You're right," she admitted, suddenly realizing how stupid her little wave had been. Just because the men around her loved her, didn't mean they wouldn't gossip if they saw what was going on. From what they had accused her of earlier, it already sounded like they were gossiping about her and Lew.

"I already told you I support this whole thing between you and him, but what I don't support is you being stupid about it," he said and she sighed. She already realized what she did was wrong; did he have to keep pushing it? "Just be a little smarter. I thought you were a spy...aren't you guys supposed to be intelligent?"

At his comment, Meg couldn't help but laugh.

"I prefer the term agent, and yes I am intelligent, just not maybe when it comes to situations like this."

"Well sharpen up," George told her, letting go of her hand to tap her on the nose.

"I really did miss you George," Meg said softly, turning the conversation serious again.

"I missed you too Meggy," he replied and she winced slightly at the nickname. George didn't seem to notice however, and instead went on to tell her another story about their time in the field.

As she listened, Meg found herself tuning his words out. Instead, she focused on his voice, feeling comforted by hearing it again. While his humorous tones continued to reach her ears, she looked over his shoulder at all the men in the room.

They were older, wiser, more serious, and changed in more ways than she could even imagine. But despite all of that, they were still the men of Easy Company. They were still _her_ men of Easy Company.

"Mind if I cut in?" a voice asked and both Meg and George turned to see Adam standing there. Knowing he couldn't say otherwise, George released her hand and gave her a comical bow before heading back to the table.

"I didn't think I'd see you here tonight," Meg said as she and her brother began dancing.

"Well I knew that if I wanted any chance of seeing you tonight, this is where I'd have to come," he told her, but before she could roll her eyes he continued. "Besides, over the past few weeks I've gotten to know these men pretty well. I understand how you felt now, feeling so attached to them. They're easy to get along with, aren't they?"

Instead of answering, Meg simply nodded, her mind already wandering to think them all over. It was cheesy, but each man was special in his own way. In most situations like this, there were clashes or an inability to mesh together well. Easy Company, however, had been ridiculously lucky. To Meg's eyes, they were the perfect combination.

"You've changed," Adam's voice brought her back and she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry?" she asked, slightly confused. "Changed?"

"Yeah," Adam said, pausing in the conversation to spin her out and in as the dance required. "You've changed so much, and I don't even think you realize it. Before you came to Aldbourne for the first time, you were broken Meg. Marco and I were sure you were done for. He told me he didn't think you'd ever go on another mission again."

"Really?" she asked softly. Meg was shocked. Marco had actually thought that about her? He had actually told Adam he thought that?

"Mhm," Adam replied. "Then we showed up at Aldbourne and after you were just here a couple days I could already see a difference. Flash forward to you leaving Aldbourne and I knew you were different for good. You were happier; more you than I'd seen you be in years."

"So I changed back to how I was before..." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Adam knew what she meant though, and he nodded.

"But not just that. London changed you too. You grew up Meg."

Meg didn't know whether to be pleased or insulted by this statement. Did he mean she was immature up until then? Before she could ask though, Adam continued on a slightly different train of thought.

"I used to worry about you every night. Every night Meg, whether we were together on a mission or separate, I used to always take some time and just sit and worry about you. But now I know I won't anymore. You've done a lot of growing these past few months and I know you can take care of yourself. I'm proud of you, and I know Marco is too."

As his short speech finished, Meg found herself wiping her eyes lightly. Her brother wasn't one for eloquent words. In fact, this was the most impressive speech she had ever heard him say, and she had sat in on most of his debriefing meetings back at the IIA.

"Oh Adam," she whimpered before pulling him in to a tight hug. His arms wrapped around her waist and she smiled, squeezing him tightly.

They stood like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the comfort of the other. Glancing up, Meg was quick to spot Lew heading in their direction. When he saw them standing there he paused, realizing he was in the act of interrupting an important moment between the siblings. Meg smiled at him, tossing him a wink. He understood and nodded his head in the direction of the table he had been sitting at. She gave a small nod, not wanting to disturb Adam from their hug.

A few minutes later they broke apart, Adam giving Meg one final squeeze.

"I love you, you know that right?" he asked and she nodded, willing herself to not start crying again.

"Of course I do silly," she chose to say instead, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "And I love you too."

"That's the only reason why I worry," he continued, "because I love you. But if Lewis Nixon is what you want, then he's what I want for you too."

Although they had had this conversation the night before, hearing Adam phrase it that way made her feel so much better. It wasn't his complete approval, but from his statement she knew he supported her. He wouldn't be telling Marco about it, and if Marco found out, she knew Adam would support her in defending herself.

"Thank you Adam," she said with a wide smile and he nodded.

"Well, I'd hate to think what you'd do to me if I didn't support you," he said, trying to play it off. Meg wasn't fooled though, so she found herself hugging him again. "Now go on. I've been watching you all night and I know you haven't said a word to him yet. He's probably over there watching us right now."

Meg chuckled as she pulled away from her brother and walked over in the direction of the bar. After ordering herself a drink, she sauntered over to the table where Lew and Harry were sitting. She grinned at them as she sat down in one of the empty seats.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Harry stated and Meg grinned wider, taking a large gulp of her drink.

"You're not the first one to tell me that," she informed him, shooting a soft glance at Lew. He smirked at her before taking a swig of his own drink. Looking away from him, Meg caught Harry's glance and he rolled his eyes teasingly at her.

"So what have you been up to here? Your brother told us you were stuck in Aldbourne," Harry started the conversation.

"Yes I have been. I've been here for the past month or so. I'm the direct contact for agents in the field so I've been decoding correspondence all day every day," she tried to make light of the situation.

"Sounds boring," Lew teased but Meg shrugged.

"Depending on the letters," she added. "I read a lot about you boys in those letters. They were the most boring," she said before smirking into her glass. Instead of saying anything, Lew and Harry simply laughed.

A sudden movement caught her eye and Meg glanced up to see George and Joe Toye staring in her direction, arms crossed.

"Oh dear," she said, quickly finishing her drink. "It looks as if I've been caught."

"Caught?" Lew asked as he and Harry both turned around to see what she meant. "I promised the boys I would spend my evening with them and not with any officers and it looks as if they've spotted me with you two."

"That doesn't seem fair. We haven't seen you in a while either," Harry argued but Meg shrugged, moving her chair back and standing up.

"I'm sure I'll be seeing both of you around," she said before getting up and slipping through the crowd to rejoin the other men of Easy.

For the rest of the night, Meg sat at the large table, listening to the boys reliving the past month. While part of the stories were entertaining, most of the stories made her wince as she was repeatedly reminded that these men weren't the same men she had left at Aldbourne months ago. No matter how easily they were able to fall back into the old ways before D-Day, they would never be exactly the same.

* * *

_Yay they're all back together! What did you think? I feel like I've been losing reviewers (but gaining readers...odd haha) so getting more reviews from people would really make my day :)_

_On another note, I know I've said this lots, but you guys mean so much to me etc. This Thanksgiving I am definitely thankful for all of you, whether you review or not. Just knowing people are reading my story makes me so happy!_

_**LovingBOBThe Pacific -** Thanks for your review! I ALWAYS wonder what it would have been like to be a woman in the 40s. If I could pick any decade I'd rather live in, it would be then. As for the men, they were WAY better in the 40s. Much more gentlemanly and chivalrous. Now they're just annoying hahaha. As for how you feel about Adam, what did you feel about this chapter with him? I think this chapter definitely shows more of him. And I think that if he seems too overprotective of Meg at times, it's because she's had a lot happen in her life; a lot he wasn't necessarily able to help her with, so to make up for it he tends to over-help her with other things haha._

_**SparkELee -** I think torture should be my middle name, I seem to do it to Meg in every chapter haha. And thanks for your opinion on descriptors. Obviously, every writer writes differently, but sometimes when I reread something I wrote, my biggest frustration is that I feel I didn't go into enough detail. Some authors could go on for paragraphs describing one thing, whereas I seem to only ever do it in 2 sentences haha. Your review is a reminder to me that I don't have to be like those other writers. My descriptions work, just like theirs do, but in different ways. So thank you lol. As for the nightmares, yeah that's kind of what I want to portray. I've been learning more about PTSD this year (unfortunately). I don't know if you've seen from my Twitter/Facebook but I'm from Chardon, Ohio. Anyway, in February there was a shooting at the high school that killed 3 kids and injured 3 others. Both my sister and a girl I think of as my adoptive sister were in the high school at the time (The adoptive girl was in the cafeteria when it happened.) Anyway, they've both been dealing with PTSD symptoms these past nine months so in an absolutely dreadful way I've been learning more about it. Anyway back to your review haha. In regards to her layers, I tried to do that. I hate when authors have 2 dimensional characters so I tried to make Meg just deep enough without being too ridiculously buried in her layers haha. As for the letter from Lew, I felt we needed a Lew-less chapter to focus completely on Meg. We're gonna have a few chapters of them actually together in person so I felt that made up for it. Thanks for your review (obviously!)_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Thanks for your review! She isn't removed for good, just for a while. It's better for her to come to terms with everything on her own so she can deal with it before going back into the field. Could you imagine trying to deal with all that while also doing the kind of work she does? I think that would be dreadful, and as I've shown (er tried to show) in recent chapters, Marco has a soft spot where Meg is concerned so obviously he'll try his best to keep her from harm...which is a weird thing to say since he's also the one to send her on all her deadly missions...hahaha. And thanks for your comments on the previous chapter too. I'm glad you thought the scene with the soldier was authentic: I've never experienced that before (thank goodness) so I just wrote it how I thought it would be, you know? As for the dancing, how ironic you asked for that because they danced this chapter! And was it how you wanted it? haha._

_** .77 -** Thanks for your review! I'm glad your enjoying my story! I hope you enjoy the rest of it (AND review more! hahaha)_


	21. A 50-50 Chance

_Hey guys! It's my favorite day of the week! Thursday!_

_I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving, or if you're not from the US, I hope you had an absolutely wonderful 3rd Thursday of November. I enjoyed my time with tons of family and stuffed my face with tons of pie. As for Black Friday, who participated? We meant to wake up at 5 and be out the door by 5:30 but alas, I think the clock read 6:35 by the time we got in the car hahahaha. I DID however, buy a nice shiny new laptop so yay me!_

_Other than that, not much has been going on in my life. It is, of course, now my favorite time of the year so instead of being all down in the dumps, I'm all excited and singing Christmas songs nonstop hahaha. Now I'm bummed my Christmas chapter was published all those weeks ago..._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

Meg enjoyed having the boys with her again, but this time was somewhat harder for her. When they had all been at Aldbourne before, the men had been training every waking hour of the day and Meg had been the one to sort of laze around, her duties not taking up nearly as much time. Now, the men were on a sort of reprieve from the fighting and therefore their days weren't completely filled dawn to dusk. It was Meg who was the busy one, her days spent decoding and recoding letters. As the war continued on, more and more letters were brought to her daily, making her spend more and more time decoding them all.

Although she knew Marco probably would not approve, some days Meg spent decoding in the mess or the pub. She would choose a table off in a corner and close herself off, focusing on her work. Her reasoning was selfish, but she was glad no one called her out on it. She wanted to see the boys. It had been months since she had seen them, almost half a year, and she hated the idea that their few days together she would be spending locked in her room.

She never let anyone read the letters, and all of them respected the secrecy enough to not pry. If one of the men showed up to talk to her, she would simply cover the letters with her decoding book and place the pile in her lap.

The voice in her head kept reminding her that this was probably the stupidest thing she had ever done in her career, but the less rational part of her brain didn't care. Besides, these boys were on their side; if one of them happened to see something in the letter (which she would be sure never came close to happening) it's not as if they would run off and tell anyone. It was a poor excuse, but it continually repeated itself in her mind, comforting her about her actions.

"You know Marco would be absolutely furious if he knew," Adam told her one night when he caught her coming back to the room. His days were spent over at Battalion HQ, constantly going over maps as updates on the occupation came in. "And when I say absolutely furious, I mean mark on your record, pulled from the field furious."

"But you won't tell him of course," Meg said calmly as she placed the stack of letters on the table. "You said yourself that you're happy I've made friends. Friends I haven't seen in almost six months. You wouldn't deny me the short time I have with them," she accused and he sighed.

"I hate it when you do that," he said and she put on a face of innocence. "God sometimes I seriously hate having you as my sister."

She could tell he wasn't serious so she simply smiled at him and began getting ready for bed.

"Adam, what do you supposed will happen to us now?" she asked as she stepped behind the changing curtain and stripped out of her dress.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked from where he was lounged out on his bed, a book open in his lap.

"I just mean that Marco can't have us both stationed here forever. What do you think he'll have us do next?"

"Well..." Adam started slowly and Meg peeked around the corner of the curtain, recognizing his tone.

"Do you know something?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Not so much know something definite," he said slowly and she raised her left eyebrow, indicating he should continue. "March just mentioned the possibility of something coming up for you."

"Oh right, you mentioned something about that in your letter," she said as she came out from behind the curtain and crawled into bed. "Do you know anything more?"

Adam shook his head before explaining.

"Not much more than before. I have a feeling Marco knows I couldn't keep anything from you," he said and Meg smirked to herself. Leave it to Marco to know them so well.

Suddenly something Adam had said made her frown slightly.

"'Not much more'?" she asked, stressing the words he had just used.

"Well..." he said just like he had before. "I know that it revolves around the General."

At his words her mouth ran dry.

A small, foolish part of her had thought her days with the General were over. The war was in full swing and soon the Allied army would have the advantage. Why would she be needed in that capacity again?

But here Adam was, telling her Marco's big plans for her involved the General. What exactly were his plans? Would she still have to follow through on them if the Allied forces took over Germany?

Knowing there was no point in worrying about it now, Meg settled into bed and closed her eyes, forcing herself to think about anything but the feel of the General's hands on her skin.

* * *

"So you _are_ still at Aldbourne," Lew stated a few mornings later when Meg dropped into the seat next to him at the mess hall. Harry chuckled at Lew's joke and Meg merely snubbed her nose at him. "I only ask because it seems like we're seeing you just about as much as we would when you were stationed in London," he continued.

"That's what happens when one plays an important role in the war," she shot back, just as Dick sat down across from her.

"Are they fighting again?" he asked Harry and the Irishman shrugged.

"It's just a lover's quarrel," he said quietly, so only the four of them could hear. Still, it didn't keep both Meg and Lew from glaring at him. "What?" he asked, throwing his hands up in defense. "Isn't it?"

It looked like Lew was about to shoot a cutting remark at his fellow Lieutenant but before he got the chance, a soldier Meg recognized from the mailroom approached.

"Miss Myeroff?" he asked and she nodded, taking the envelope he held out to her.

As the three officers broke into steady conversation, Meg ripped the envelope open, quickly skimming its contents.

At her gasp, the three stopped talking and looking at her.

"Something wrong?" Lew asked, reaching over to place his hand on her thigh. At the contact, she jumped, leaping from her seat.

"I have to find Adam," she announced before practically flying from the mess hall. At her exit, the three turned to look at each other, eyebrows raised.

* * *

It didn't take Meg long to find her brother. He was at Battalion, already devoted to his day's work.

"Miss!" a private shouted as she hurried past him toward the closed door. "Miss Myeroff you can't go in there," he called as he followed her. She ignored him as she ripped the door open and rushed in.

The four men inside looked up at her dramatic entrance. Seeing the look on her face, Adam jumped up from his seat.

"Stauffenberg's been killed," she said and Adam's jaw dropped before he took two steps forward.

"Hitler? Is he still alive?" he asked frantically and she nodded.

"What in God's name is going on?" Sink cried, clearly as confused as everyone else in the room. Hearing footsteps behind her, Meg turned slightly so she could see Lew in her peripheral vision. At first she was about to scold him for following her, then she remembered he was an intelligence officer; of course he'd be coming to attend that morning's intelligence meeting.

"Two days ago there was a plot to assassinate Hitler," Adam began to explain calmly.

"Adam," Meg warned but he shook her off.

"They have to know," he told her and she only hesitated a moment before shrugging and letting him continue.

"And why didn't I know about this?" Sink asked and Meg held back the urge to roll her eyes. Military men always seemed to think they had to know everything. Sometimes it was extremely annoying.

"It was on a need to know basis sir," she said and luckily he seemed to understand the situation.

"Anyway, Operation Valkyrie was a German plot to assassinate Hitler and then take control of all German cities, take over the SS, and arrest all Nazi leadership. It was led by a group of men, including Colonel Stauffenberg."

"And let me guess," Lew said as he walked further into the room, taking seat in a chair. "It failed."

"Well judging by this letter it would seem so," Meg said, holding the piece of paper up. Adam strode over and took it from her, skimming it quickly. When he was finished, he turned to Meg and took hold of her shoulder, looking directly in her eyes.

"You need to go call Marco. Call him and begin preparations to get Agent Swinson out of Germany now," he said, his tone forceful. Knowing the seriousness of the situation, Meg nodded, hurrying from the room and shouting for a telephone.

* * *

"He wants you on it," she said when she came back into the room ten minutes later. Again, all the men sitting around the table looked up at her in confusion; all except Adam.

"Alright," he said as he stood from his seat and strode from the room, only stopping to place a sound kiss on Meg's forehead. As he walked away, she crossed her arms for comfort and locked eyes with Lew. She could tell from his expression that he felt sorry for her, but not wanting to get into it, she turned and hurried after his brother.

This was huge; much more serious than any mission they may have gone on before. Sure, plenty of their missions were serious, life or death situations, but none of them had ever been initiated with less than a 50/50 percent chance of survival. The Germans had killed Stauffenberg, it was only a matter of time before they caught Swinson and killed him as well. And if Adam was with him when he was found...

Shaking her head, Meg caught up to her brother and clutched his arm tightly, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

"I'll be fine," he said but she refused to believe him, especially because she could hear the waver of uncertainty in his voice.

When they got to their quarters, Adam moved on autopilot, throwing things in his bag in an almost robotic way.

"Adam stop," Meg said, making both of them jump at how loud and short her statement had been. When her brother looked over at her, she couldn't help it and rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Meg," he whispered into her hair, holding her close. "Meg," he repeated and she sighed, taking in the smell of him. She wanted to remember it incase...

"I'm just so worried," she said, pulling back to look at him. "Neither of us have ever done a mission like this before. We don't know what could happen once you get over there."

"You've never worried about me on a mission before," he reminded her. "This is actually sort of patronizing."

"Don't say that," Meg scolded before explaining her reason for acting this way.

"There's still a 50/50 chance of survival," he told her but she shook her head. "Well there isn't if you have that glass half empty attitude. Come on Meg, have more faith in me."

"I do, it's the Germans I don't have faith in," she told him with a sigh.

"I'll be alright. Just a quick in and out and it's over."

"But how do you even know where you'll find Swinson?" she asked and he gave her a pointed look.

"Come on Meg, you of all people know every mission has an emergency rendezvous."

She almost slapped her forehead at her stupidity. Of course there was an emergency rendezvous point. Marco wouldn't be that stupid as to send an agent out without a backup plan.

Feeling somewhat relieved, Meg sighed and pulled her brother in for a tight hug before helping him finish packing.

After one final hug and a hard kiss on the cheek, Meg watched him leave, putting her hand over her heart as she watched him disappear behind the buildings.

The rest of her day went by in a fog. Obviously this wasn't the first mission she had watched Adam go off on, but she couldn't escape the feeling that something bad was going to happen. The odds most definitely weren't in their favor and they worsened when one included the fact that Adam was going to be dropping_ into_ Germany.

A knock on her door that night caused her to look up from where she had been staring at the wood surface of the table. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was almost seven at night. She had skipped both lunch and dinner sitting there.

Before she was able to answer, the door opened and Lew walked in slowly, his eyes settling on her.

"I came to see if you were alright," he said and in response, she stood and enveloped herself in his arms, bursting into sobs.

They stood there for a few minutes before he led them over to her bed, settling down on it without removing her from his embrace. After they had sat there for a good fifteen minutes, her cries quieted and she pulled away, wiping her nose and eyes ungracefully.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me," she said embarrassedly but Lew shook his head, wiping at her cheeks with his thumb.

"I do," he replied. "Your brother is going off on what I'm assuming is a life or death mission. I'd be more worried if you weren't a blubbering mess," he finished with a smirk, showing he was teasing. She didn't take the bait, however, and a scowl appeared on her face.

"But I should be used to this. Adam and I have both gone on enough missions that I should be used to these life or death situations."

"Meg, I don't think anyone should ever be used to a life or death situation," Lew informed her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her toward him. "He's your brother, it's only fair that you worry about him when he's on a dangerous mission."

Instead of responding verbally, Meg tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his, enjoying the feel of them.

"What was that for?" he asked when they pulled apart a few minutes later.

"For being so wonderful," she said with a smile. "For knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better."

"Well, what can I say? I'm always wonderful," he said in a suave tone and Meg chuckled, pulling him back for a kiss.

As the kiss deepened, Meg found herself pushing Lew back down onto the bed. As his hands reached for the tie around her dress, she began the tedious task of undoing all his buttons. As her fingers moved nimbly, she silently wondered if that was the reason military men had so many layers with buttons; so it was a long, annoying job for a woman to undo them all.

When they were both completely free of clothing, Meg released her lips from his, leaning back to look down at him.

"I missed this," she whispered as she ducked her head, beginning to trail kisses across his chest and down his stomach. As she did, he wrapped his fingers in her hair, nodding his head.

"I did too," he told her as she brought her lips back up to meet with his own.

* * *

An hour later, they both lay there, looking up at the ceiling.

"Your bed stinks," Lew informed her and she couldn't help but laugh, rolling over to bury her face in his chest. What a change her mood had gone through in the last hour!

"And why does it stink?" she asked, leaning back to lock eyes with him.

"It's so small. We were spoiled by your bed in London," he informed her and she nodded, placing a quick kiss on his jaw.

"Perhaps it's better this way. We can hardly afford to spend the entire day in bed here like we could in London. My un-enjoyable military bed forces us to get up and go about our day," she said and now it was his turn to laugh.

"I guess you're right," he said as he got up from the bed and reached for his clothes. Despite all their moments together, Meg still found herself blushing at the sight of him walking around in the nude. Hoping he wouldn't catch her and make fun, she got out of bed herself, quickly grabbing her clothes and throwing them on haphazardly.

"I suppose you have to get back to your bunk," she said and he nodded sadly.

"Will you be alright here alone?" he asked and she put up a false smile.

"Of course I will. Besides, I don't really have a choice do I? If you're caught her, the results could be disastrous to your military career. I won't put you at risk for my emotions."

"Meg..." Lew started but Meg shook him off.

"I'll be fine," she said firmly.

Giving one last nod, Lew leaned forward to give her a final kiss before heading to the door.

"Hold on," she said softly, rushing forward and reaching the door first, opening it slowly and glancing out, looking both ways. When she was sure the coast was clear, she nodded and he snuck by her, giving her arm a light squeeze.

"I'll come by to see you in the morning," he told her and she nodded, watching him disappear just like her brother had earlier that morning.

When she was sure he was gone, she shut the door, going to lie back down on her bed. Clutching the blankets up around her tightly, she smiled as memories of the past hour filled her head.

That was definitely one way to make her stop thinking about her brother!

* * *

The rest of the week played out similarly. Meg spent her days worrying about Adam and her nights being comforted by Lew. She knew what they were doing was wrong; they would both be in serious trouble if they were caught. Still, for the hundredth time she reminded herself that she wasn't going to stress over this situation any longer. Lew wanted to be with her, and she wanted to be with him. End of discussion.

By Friday, Meg was beyond stressed. It had been six days since she had heard from either Adam or Marco. Knowing both of them as well as she did, this could either be good news or bad news. Annoying by her lack of knowledge, she skipped breakfast and made her way straight to Battalion.

"Permission to use your phone," she said as she approached the man sitting at the desk. He looked up at her and nodded, motioning to the empty receiver. Sighing with relief, she hurried over and quickly asked to be connected to the IIA line.

While she stood there waiting, a group of men, including Harry, Lew, and Dick, walked in. Other than her three friends, none of them spared her a second glance as they walked into the large meeting room. Just as the three were walking toward her, someone answered on the other line.

"Uh yes, I'd like to speak with Marco please," she told the woman, pulling the mouth part of the receiver away as she smiled at them. "Hello," she whispered and they all tipped their hats.

"Just one moment miss. I think he's in a meeting," the secretary said.

"Can you tell him it's Meg?" she clarified and, instead of answering, the line began to ring.

"Are you allowed to use Army phone lines?" Harry teased and Meg rolled her eyes.

"Sod off," she told him, just as the phone finished ringing.

"Meg?" Marco's familiar voice asked and Meg quickly pulled the receiver back to her mouth.

"What's going on with Adam?" she asked quickly. Noting her tone of voice, Harry and Dick tipped their hats again before continuing on their way. Lew stuck around, taking a step closer to her. She smiled at the comforting gesture.

"Meg you know I can't tell you anything over an open line," Marco practically scolded.

"Yes, I know," she said in an exasperated tone. Marco honestly thought she _didn't_ know that? She wasn't expecting him to tell her the entire situation! Just a tip or hint would be appreciated. "It's just...I just want to know he's alright," she finally chose to say. There was a pause before Marco replied.

"We don't know Meg, we haven't heard from him in five days," he finally said and Meg found herself dropping the receiver. She and Lew could both hear Marco's voice echoing from the ear piece as he called her name but they ignored it, looking at each other.

When he realized she wasn't going to make a move to pick it up, Lew reached forward and picked the phone off the floor, putting it to his ear.

"Hello this is Lieutenant Nixon. I'm not sure who you are but Miss Myeroff seems to be in shock over something you said. I'm going to hang up now and make sure she's taken back to her quarters." There was a pause before Lew nodded. "Yes sir," he said before hanging up. "Hey Dick!" he shouted and the ginger captain came hurrying out, quickly assessing the situation.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked when he saw Meg's face.

"I'm going to take her back to her bunk. I'll be back as soon as I can," he said before taking hold of Meg's arm and leading her out of the room. In a daze, she followed.

Inside, her world was slowly crumbling. This was worse than Christian, way worse than she could have imagined. Five days? That was practically forever when it came to a situation like this. All Adam was supposed to do was be a contact between Swinson and the IIA to ensure his safety. That job definitely required contact more frequently than five days. If what Marco said was true, Adam was as good as dead.

As this realization hit her, Meg's legs crumbled, causing her to sag against Lew. Luckily his reflexes kicked in and he held her up, quickly lifting her into his arms and continuing on his way.

"Meg?" a voice called but it seemed muffled to her ears. She barely noticed as George and Malarkey ran over, causing Nixon to pause in his steps.

"What happened?" Malarkey asked, both of them looking from Lew to Meg in alarm.

"Bad news about her brother," Lew said quickly. "Listen, I've got to get back to a meeting. Can you two take her to her quarters? Make sure she's settled in alright and if someone could stay with her that would be great."

As Malarkey reached out and took Meg's body into his arms, Lew stretched forward and grabbed George's arm.

"Yes sir?" George asked and Lew paused, as if what he was about to say was hard to articulate. After all, it _was_ scandalous. Meg had mentioned Level 3 plenty of times, but he could only assume why she had been sent there. He hoped he was wrong about the reasoning, but his next statement was to make sure nothing like that happened again.

"Make sure there isn't anything sharp around her," he said and George nodded, eyes wide, before the two turned and continued on the path Lew had been taking.

"You're gonna be alright Meg," Malarkey said as they walked, but Meg barely heard him. Instead she was playing through moments in her mind, almost like a moving picture. Her and Adam at her sixth birthday party, her and Adam at graduation from the Academy, her and Adam with Christian on their first mission together...

"Meg!" George shouted and she rolled her head over to look at him, not making any other signal that she had heard him. "Meg listen to me, whatever's happened to Adam, it's gonna be okay."

"S'not," she slurred softly, and finally the tears came. Turning to bury her face in Malarkey's neck, she sobbed harder than she had in years. She hadn't cried this hard since Christian died, and even then she had been half out of it. Now she was fully sobbing, not holding anything back.

The two soldiers looked at each other in alarm before picking up their pace. When they finally reached Meg's quarters, they shoved the door open and rushed her to her bed, practically throwing her onto it.

"I'll stay here, you go get somebody else," George ordered and Malarkey nodded, running out the door. "Hey Meg," George spoke softly, crawling onto the bed with her and pulling her head back to rest against his shoulder. "It's George. I'm here kiddo. It's gonna be alright, I'm here."

She didn't correct him, instead continuing to cry against his shoulder. If she said out loud that Adam was most likely killed, then it would be real. She couldn't handle the idea of Adam being gone to her forever. It was like Christian all over again and she couldn't stand that.

She and George sat there, resting against the headboard of her bed as she continued to cry. It wasn't long before the door opened and Malarkey walked in, followed by Toye, Bill, and Muck.

"Hey Meggy," Bill said softly, but in response to the pet name Meg simply sobbed harder. Jumping back in alarm, the four newcomers looked at each other before looking at George questioningly.

"Jesus Christ I dunno!" he exclaimed. "Just help me calm her down. I don't even know what happened."

"Adam's dead," Meg sobbed out and they all looked at her.

"How?" Joe finally asked, the other three pulling chairs over and sitting down around her.

"Well," she started as she sat up and wiped her eyes frantically, "I don't know for sure. But I just spoke to Marco and he said they hadn't heard from Adam in five days. That's practically a done deal in our line of duty."

"I'm sure he's alright Meg," Bill said softly, reaching out to pat her leg.

"Please don't say that," she replied and Bill closed his mouth, looking at her in an obviously startled way. "I know you're all just trying to help but I don't want people assuring me Adam's alive when he most likely isn't. If you all don't mind, I'd rather be alone right now."

"But Lieutenant Nixo-"

"I don't care what he said," Meg cut Malarkey off harshly. "I know myself better than him and I would prefer to be alone. I understand your concern but I'll be fine."

The four men gave her a steady look before deciding to agree with her. Standing from their various positions, they all tipped their hats to her before filing out...but not before George grabbed her letter opener off the table. Too dazed, Meg didn't notice, but if she had been in a better mood, she might have reminded him that she had a gun in the drawer next to her bed.

Left on her own, Meg collapsed back on the bed, crying herself to sleep. She had only been awake for a couple hours, but already she was exhausted.

* * *

_I meant to do this last chapter, but I wanted to point out that I'm now over 100 reviews! So yay! How about we make a pact? I keep posting and you all keep reviewing! Sound good? I think so haha._

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Thanks for your review. What did you think of Toye in this chapter? Again, not in it a lot, but I think his role where Meg is concerned was a good one. And yeah, I'm happy they're finally all back together too! Although this chapter wasn't all fluff and daisies was it? Lucky for Meg she has her Easy boys with her to keep her company and help her through it all! And thanks for the Happy Thanksgiving wishes. It was overall a good day. I ate too much, drank too much, and spent my evening watching football. What a day hahaha_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Your first point of your review was about the relationship Meg has with the men of Easy. After this chapter, what are your thoughts? I'm really glad you like my "clever juxtaposition" hahahaha. I just like saying that phrase. And yeah, my roomie/editor (who, it should be noted, has not seen Band of Brothers) was like "I don't know...I feel like she changes too quickly..." but I feel like, if you know the characters from watching the show, you'd know how infecting their personalities are. And she is head over heels isn't she? I suppose, in a way, this is what "first love" would feel like to someone like Meg. Sometimes it's slightly childish, but other times it's completely adult and romantic. And yay you like Adam! You and I seem to be in the minority here haha. What did you think of this chapter then? Thanks for your review!_

_**SparkELee -** So even though I knew it would probs be a frantic weekend for you, I was still all freaking out cause you weren't reviewing hahahaha. But thanks for reviewing :) Anyway, when I saw you didn't like Adam, I messaged my roomie/editor and was like "OMG Holly, that reader I told you about, she doesn't like Adam!" and she goes "...well I don't really like him either..." hahahahahaha so yeah, it's all good. The more I thought about it, the more I totally saw your point. I don't have a brother, so obviously I don't know what it would be like, but from my experiences with my friends' brothers, I'd say I get where you're coming from. As for getting her feelings right, I'm glad you thought so. Did I do well in this chapter too? These are a bit different feelings than before. Also, this chapter totally focuses on her relationship with Adam hahahahaha so sorry for that lol. And I'm glad you agree with how I wrote their moment in the last chapter. I was worried it would be too...idk, risqué? Too scandalous for some people? Or like, just too much in general because it's completely different than their relationship has been. As for keeping them apart, I hate the idea too. However, it will be coming soon...so hold tight haha._


	22. Being a Ninny

_So here it is again, Thursday!_

_Confession: I've kinda been off my Band of Bros kick for a bit. I got my friend hooked on Supernatural, the show (and by hooked I mean she watched 7.5 seasons in 3 weeks...and there are 22 episodes each season) and she got me re-hooked on it. THEN Best Buy had a sale on Black Friday and all Supernatural seasons were only $9.99 instead of $50 or whatever ridic price they were...so I bought them, just thinking it'd be nice to have them on hand. THEN I convinced my dad to watch the first episode (even though he thought the show was stupid). Anyway, since we watched the first episode 4 days ago, we've watched 11 episodes (who's stupid now dad!?) So yeah, what with that and my ridiculous excitement over the holidays (Don't worry, the Christmas special TV guide list is printed, highlighted, and hanging on my fridge) I haven't spent a TON of time rereading/editing/thinking about this story._

_But don't worry, never in my life would I think about abandoning it! It's already 90% written anyway haha. But yeah, that's all that's been going on in my life lately._

_Anyway, onto the story!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

It was 24 hours before Meg moved from her bed. Curled up in a ball, she cried until she had no tears left. Then she simply held herself, waiting for her tear ducts to fill up again as she continued to think of Adam, somewhere in Germany, most likely dead.

_You don't know that for sure._ She kept reminding herself. _Stay positive!_ But deep down she knew the odds weren't in his favor. Five days was a long amount of time when one considered the mission he was on. He was only supposed to get into Germany, meet up with Swinson to make sure he was alive, and get out. The plan for that mission was supposed to take 12 hours in the best of circumstances, but only the absolute worst would make Adam silent for five days.

Lew had stopped in to see her after his meeting the first day, and again after dinner, but she hadn't acknowledged him either time. Unless the visitor was Adam, she wanted nothing to do with them.

The afternoon after everything had happened, Lew showed up at her door with a plate of food and a glass of water. When Meg tried to refuse him, he took her upper arms and shook her lightly before letting go. Instead he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the face.

"Adam wouldn't want you to waste away because he was gone," he informed her before lifting the glass to her lips. She obliged, taking a few light gulps before turning her head away. Lew sighed before lifting a fork loaded with questionable-looking meat. "I'll force this down your throat if you make me," he said and she sighed before opening her mouth and swallowing the piece of food obediently.

"I can't believe he's gone," she said as she took the fork from him, lifting it to her lips and beginning to feed herself. She wasn't a baby after all.

"You don't know that Meg. And before you argue with me, think about it. Why don't we stay positive and assume he's alive unless we hear otherwise?"

"Because it's easier to expect bad news and be proven wrong than to expect good news," she stated and he rubbed a hand down his face with a frustrated sigh. She knew he wanted to yell at her for her pessimistic views but honestly, it was her safest bet. Past events in her life hadn't exactly taught her to be optimistic.

"Well Adam wouldn't want you to be acting like this," Lew said and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking up.

"You know he said he approved," she said instead of responding to his statement. At his confused look, she continued. "We talked more about what was going on between you and I and he told me he approved, as long as I was happy."

Lew pulled her forward and placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling her face up to kiss her lips.

"You know I love you," he said as he rested his forehead against hers. She nodded against him as she felt tears fill her eyes again. Wasn't she just a waterworks lately? "Take all the time you need to pull yourself together, but we both know Adam would be pissed if he knew you were acting this way."

And before she could reply, he stood from the bed and strode out the door. As it shut behind him, Meg glanced down at the plate in her lap and continued to eat what was left.

"Did you hear?" Muck's voice practically echoed through the mailroom as he stomped inside, startling Meg and making her draw a ridiculously long pencil line across her sheet of paper. To occupy her time (and her thoughts) she had gone back to helping sort the mail in the mailroom. If anything, it was an easy way to get her own mail quicker. Plus, focusing on the names on the letters was easier than focusing on Adam.

"Did I hear what?" she asked tersely, trying to keep her annoyance at bay as she grabbed a new sheet of paper and began to rewrite what she had written.

"General Eisenhower is on base to inspect the division!" he said as he strode to the other side of the office and grabbed both George and Penkala. "Come on you two, we're supposed to get cleaned up!" And before anyone could say anything else, they were out the door, leaving Meg alone.

As she spent the next hour sorting mail solo, many men on the base rushed through, grabbing things quickly, all talking loudly of the General's visit. Despite her depressed attitude of late, Meg couldn't help but smile softly at the excitement pulsing through the men. She had to admit, this was definitely something exciting and she was sorry she wouldn't be included.

Shaking her head, she turned back to her mail. This moment belonged to the Yanks, who was she to try and ride on their coat tails?

"And in here is the mailroom," Sink's voice boomed through the hall and Meg had just enough time to register what was happening before the group of men walked in.

Sink was in the front, followed closely by a man Meg recognized as Eisenhower. Behind him were a group of men she assumed had traveled with him, and behind them were a few of the Intelligence officers. Meg spotted Lew and quickly looked away. She didn't need to be blushing in front of Eisenhower.

Realizing that the mailroom wasn't empty, the group turned to look at Meg and suddenly she felt put on the spot. Was she technically allowed to be in here? Or was there maybe some rule against an outsider sorting the mail? Before she could ponder it more, Colonel Sink cleared his throat and took a step forward.

"Sir this is Megan Myeroff, an agent with the IIA statione-" Colonel Sink started, but he was quickly cut off.

"Of course!" the General's voice boomed as he strode forward and held his hand out. "Miss Myeroff it's such a pleasure," he said and Meg's eyebrows rose in shock.

What?

"Uh, thank you sir," she said as she shook his hand in a slightly daze. "The feeling is mutual."

Glancing at Lew and Colonel Sink, she could tell she wasn't the only one who was surprised.

"I've heard all about the role you played in preparations for D-Day. Montgomery was very impressed with your work ethic."

"Thank you sir," Meg said, blushing now. What an ego boost!

"Well Miss Myeroff, it is a great pleasure to meet you. I know most of our country may never get to thank you for the service you've done, so I just want to thank you for them."

Not really knowing what to say, Meg just smiled. Glancing sideways, she caught sight of Lew. He was staring at her and when they made eye contact, he motioned his hand up to his forehead. Catching his drift, Meg snapped her legs together and sharply raised her hand up to her forehead in the British salute. Nodding to her, Eisenhower turned to Sink and the group turned and headed out.

"How did that feel?" Lew whispered as he came up beside her. When the rest of the group had disappeared out the door, he leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before running after them.

Alone, Meg sighed as she slumped back against the mail counter.

Eisenhower was one of Adam's idols. He would have given anything to be where she was right now. And right now, she'd give anything to have him there too.

As August continued, the men began to get more and more anxious. Rumors of jumps were flying all over the place, keeping everybody on their toes. Silently, Meg hoped the men were stuck in Aldbourne a little while longer. She wasn't ready to send them off to war again, especially with the loss of Adam still so fresh. She was enjoying her time with them too much and the idea of some of them not coming back was gut wrenching. She had already lost Christian and Adam, she didn't need to lose more.

It had been almost a month since Adam had left Aldbourne. As time went by, Meg's distress over him slowly simmered. She hadn't forgotten him, and she thought of him almost every hour, but the wounds weren't as fresh. She was almost able to get back to the way things were.

Almost.

A week after Eisenhower's visit, the men of Easy began preparation for a jump into Chartres. When Meg heard the news, she dropped the mail she was holding and ran from the mailroom, off down the hall and into the office where Lew was having an intelligence briefing.

Blushing as all heads turned to her, Meg quickly backed out.

"Sorry," she apologized softly, too embarrassed to say anything else. She had known he was in there but she didn't realize it was an official meeting. She thought it was just the intelligence officers coming and going at their leisure.

As she was leaning back against the wall, head tipped back and hand covering her face in embarrassment, she felt two hands come to rest on each of her arms. Jumping slightly, she pulled her hand away from her face and looked up into the eyes of Lewis Nixon.

"I'm sorry," she began to apologize, but he cut her off and practically dragged her into an empty office, shutting the door behind them.

"You heard," he stated instead of asked. Meg nodded before slowly circling her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest. "We knew this was coming," he said with a light chuckle, obviously trying to sooth her into thinking it was nothing.

"It doesn't make it any easier," she replied before pulling back and placing a quick, soft kiss on his lips. "Can't you fake an injury so you can stay behind?"

"I can't _fake_ an injury," Lew said in a mocking tone.

"Well we can give you a real one then. I'm an excellent shot with my pistol and I know I could do just enough damage to keep you behind but not wound you forever." She was mostly joking, but that small part of her wished he'd agree to her ridiculous idea.

"Meg," Lew said with a laugh, pulling her close again. "I have to get back to my meeting, and you have to get back to your mail. We'll talk about this later when neither of us have other obligations, alright?" he asked and she nodded slowly before they both slipped out of the room and went their separate ways.

That night she heard the familiar knock on her door. Smiling, she waited as Lew let himself in.

"Are you busy?" he asked but she shook her head.

"Just writing my daily letter to base," she said and he nodded, walking over to collapse backwards on her bed. Meg turned in her chair so she could face him, smirking slightly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm exhausted," was all he said before sitting back up and pulling his flask out of his pocket. Meg wrinkled her nose before sighing.

That was one thing she had noticed since their return to Aldbourne; Lew was drinking more. A lot more. His drinking habits had bothered Meg before, but now there was no mistaking them for what they were. It was bad news and it couldn't be the elephant in the room anymore.

She had previously tried to talk to him about it, but every time it had almost come up, she had chickened out. Now she knew that wouldn't be an option. It was getting worse and it needed to be mentioned. She wasn't going to be responsible for another death if she could help it.

"Lew," Meg began, standing up and walking over to him. "Don't you think it's a little late to be drinking?" she chose to say instead of jumping right in. She thought it would be an easy way into the conversation but apparently Lew had other ideas.

"Come off it Meg," he grumbled. "Not you too."

"Me too?" she asked, crossing her arms as she waited for him to explain.

"Dick's been riding my ass all week. Harry too, and now you've joined the team as well," he said bitterly, raising the flask to her in a mock cheer.

"Darling," Meg chose to call him, hoping the endearment would calm him down. "We're all just concerned about you. There's so much going on and-"

"Just stop!" Lew shouted, jumping up to tower above her. The sudden loudness of his voice caused her to jump and her mouth clamped shut. He had never yelled at her like that before. "I don't need this from you. You, of _all_ people, should understand."

"I do," she practically whimpered, reaching out to grab his hands desperately. So much for having control of the situation. "I really do, and that's why I'm telling you there are other ways to deal-"

Lew cut her off again, ripping his hands from her grip.

"You know what your problem is?" he asked and she turned to look at him, wondering what he was going to say. This wasn't going at all like she'd planned in her head.

_He's drunk_, the voice in her head reminded her. _More drunk than he's been in a while. Don't take anything he says personally._

"Your problem is that you're a hypocrite."

His words hit her full force and despite what she had told herself, she still felt like he'd stabbed her in the gut.

"What?" she whispered as it took all her effort not to drop down onto the bed.

"You sit here in this room and you wallow in self-pity over your life," he explained loudly, gesturing all over the place with his arms. "But you don't _do_ anything about it. You just continue to wallow and wallow and make everyone feel sorry for you. 'Poor Meg Myeroff has had such bad things happen in her life, let's all feel bad for her.'"

"Stop it," she said, wishing it had come out sounding forceful. Instead it sounded pathetic, especially when mixed with the tears stinging her eyes. Why was he being so hurtful?

"What? So you can dish it out but you can't take it?" Lew practically sneered as he took a step back toward the door. "Don't you dare sit here and criticize _me_ for dealing with things my way, when your way isn't any better."

And before she could respond, he was out the door, slamming it roughly behind him.

Meg stood there for exactly one minute, counting the seconds in her head. The tears pooled in her eyes, dripping down her cheeks, but she refused to break down. Lew's words had stung, but she wasn't going to let him get to her.

When she hit the number 60, she reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes before turning and grabbing her towel and some fresh clothes. It was late enough that the rest of the lads would most likely be asleep. She didn't have to worry about running into anyone.

She desperately needed a shower.

It turned out Meg's worries about losing the men to a jump were unwarranted. Just as the men were getting ready for the jump, word got out that Patton's Third Army had overtaken the drop zone. When everyone realized the drop was cancelled, the men returned to Aldbourne and celebrated as Meg had never seen them celebrate before.

However, there were two people who didn't join in on the celebrations.

With the combination of Adam's disappearance and Lew's harsh words, Meg was having a horrible time. Instead of joining them all at the pub, she chose to stay in her room, working quickly to keep her mind off things.

At the sound of a knock on her door, Meg's heart jumped. She didn't know whether her nerves were good or bad, but the idea of Lew walking through that door right now was terrifying.

Instead, George peeked his head around, causing her to sigh.

"Hey sweet cheeks," he said as he walked in and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking around before taking in the sight of her. "How come you're not down at the pub with us?"

"I have a lot of work that needs to be done," she said in a monotone voice, signing a piece of paper with a flourish.

"You and I both know that's bullshit," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

"I just don't feel like celebrating," she told him, slumping back in her chair. "Adam's still missing, why can't anyone understand that?"

"Don't be like that," George said as he walked over and leaned against the table beside her. "We _do_ understand that, more than I think you realize. But at the same time, you've got a group of men out there wanting to see you. Adam may be gone, but there are at least 20 guys at the pub who think of you as a sister."

His small lecture had the desired effect. Sighing, Meg looked up at him.

"I am being a ninny aren't I?" she asked and he shrugged.

"I have no idea what that means, but I'm just gonna go with yes."

"George Luz, what would I do without you?" she asked, standing up to kiss him on the cheek.

"I dunno," he said as he blushed slightly, "probably not have as much fun as you do."

Meg was just about to walk over to her dresser when she had a sudden flash of Lew standing in that same spot, telling her she was a hypocrite.

"I can't," she said as her shoulders slumped. George frowned.

"What? Why not?"

She debated whether to tell him her reason or not. After all, she knew she was going to forgive Lew; would involving someone else be wise? She didn't want any of the Easy men to dislike Lew on her account.

Finally deciding it was George and she had to tell him the truth, she sighed.

"Lew and I...we had an argument. I can't face him after what he said."

"What did he say?" George asked and Meg was startled to hear a slight tone of anger in his voice. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to tell him.

"It doesn't matter. He was drunk and I know he didn't mean it, but still..."

"Meg," George warned softly. "You can't stay holed up in here. Come to the pub. I didn't even see Lieutenant Nixon down there."

At this revelation, Meg breathed a sigh of relief. Besides, wouldn't going out and celebrating with the lads be a point against Lew's accusation? This wasn't her wallowing in self-pity; this was her going out and being happy despite the negatives in her life. Adam's disappearance and Lew's harsh words weren't going to drag her down.

"Adam wouldn't want me to be sad," she repeated Lew's words and George looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's just...well, when a friend of mine died last year, I took it hard, and I remember Adam telling me that being sad wasn't going to make it better. My tears weren't going to bring Christian back, so it was better if I stayed happy and remembered all the good things. Adam would want me to do the same about him," she explained and George smirked, clapping her on the back.

"That's the spirit. I'll wait for you outside and walk you down there," he said before disappearing back out the front door.

When he was gone, she quickly rushed through her dresser, pulling out a dress and practically throwing it over her head. As she tied the ribbons on the side, she looked around for her hair brush, stroking it through her brunette tresses twice before setting it down and quickly applying some makeup. She didn't want to look like death.

"That's the fastest I think a dame's ever gotten ready before," George informed her as they walked down the path.

"Well I'm not like most dames," she told him, clutching his arm tightly as they walked. Even though it was still warm out, the idea of running into Lew sent a chill down her spine.

She knew they'd have to face each other sometime. This was their first fight, and it was hardly enough to break them up. But his words had stung; they still did. She wasn't going to let him off easy. She deserved an apology, but she was going to let him initiate it first.

"Hey!" Bill cried as they walked into the pub. As usual, it was completely filled and they had to squeeze their way through. Meg was surprised to see the boys weren't at their usual table. Instead, they were stationed in the other corner by the bar, all standing as they talked, smoke, and drank.

"Glad to see you out here," Joe Toye said before leaning over the bar and getting the bartenders attention. "Our girl here wants a whiskey," he said.

"Thanks Joe," Meg replied before turning to look out at the room.

There were so many men she didn't recognize, it was endearing. Before, she had known almost everyone and wasn't afraid to be her usual self. Now she felt shy, and when that was added to her already quieter self because of all that had happened recently, she knew she was going to be a wet blanket.

"Here," Joe said, handing her a glass. Just as she was lifting it to her lips, a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her around to look up into the eyes of Dick.

"You need to come now," he said, his tone deadly serious.

"Captain Winters, she just got here," Muck started to explain but Dick ignored him, giving Meg a hard look. She knew Dick was a serious man, but this look was terrifyingly serious. Had something happened? Was it Adam? Lew?

"Alright," she said, giving in and handing Joe back her glass before following Dick back out the door. "What is it?" she asked as they walked, but Dick chose to stay quiet, leading her back through the barracks.

She could tell where he was taking her; it was a path she'd taken many times before. What was going on?

Slamming on her breaks, she pulled free from his grasp and stood still.

"What in heaven's name is going on?" she asked, hoping he sensed her mood and wouldn't beat around the bush.

"It's Nix," he said with a sigh, looking at her as he ran his hand through his auburn hair.

"What about him?" Meg asked, panic evident in her voice. Despite their fight, she did still loved the man.

"I don't know what happened between you two but he won't shut up about it. He's been drinking since yesterday and he won't stop. He missed drills this morning and he's lucky there wasn't a drop last night because he sure as heck wouldn't have made it."

Rolling her eyes, Meg motioned for him to continue walking.

"I confronted him about his drinking and we got in an argument," she explained as they walked. "He said some hurtful things and then left. I know he was drunk but-"

"But that doesn't excuse what he did," Dick finished for her, coming to a stop outside the door. "Nix has problems, he'll be the first to admit it. His life hasn't exactly been apple pie, I'm sure you know."

"Yes, I do," Meg said, wishing he'd stop the conversation so she could go inside. She had to see Lew.

"Sometimes we have to pick our battles. I've learned with Nix that the battle against the drinking isn't the best one to be having."

"But it'll kill him," Meg whispered harshly, aware that Lew could possibly hear them from inside. "If he keeps drinking like that, it will. You and I both know that."

"I'm not saying it won't," Dick said and Meg wondered how his voice could sound so calm. Currently, she wanted to strangle him. "But Harry and I are keeping an eye on him. For now, he's fine, so it's best to just lay low on it. I'm not saying it excuses him from the things he said to you, but I think right now it would be best if you just talked to him."

Sighing, mostly because she knew he was right, Meg walked past him and through the door, coming to a stop when she spotted Lew.

He was sitting on his bed, wearing nothing but his white undershirt and his shorts. His hair was a mess and it looked like it hadn't been washed in days. In his hand was a full bottle of Vat 69, in plain sight to anyone who cared to walk through the door.

"Oh Lewis Nixon," Meg whispered and he turned to look at her, his eyebrows rising slightly.

"Meg? " he said in a slightly loud voice. "I'm sorry," he slurred as she walked over to his side and took the bottle from his hands, placing it on the floor before brushing his hair back from his face.

He really looked awful.

"I'm sorry," he repeated again but she shushed him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. He tasted of the whiskey and she tried not to wrinkle her nose when she noticed he smelled of it too.

"Shhh, it's alright," she said as she stood up and walked over to the table, quickly spotting his water canteen. After a quick sniff, she knew it was, in fact, water. Grabbing another shirt out of his drawer, she soaked it in the water and walked back over, wiping down his face and neck.

"Meg," he said as she continued to scrub him down. "Why are you doing this?"

His words were still very slurred, but she could understand exactly what he was saying.

"Because someone has to," she said, wincing when she realized how harsh her words sounded. "Lew, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said with a drunken shake of his head. "I'm the one who fucked up."

"We both did," she clarified with a gentle smile. "I shouldn't have called you out like that."

"But you were right."

"It doesn't matter," she said with a shrug, standing back up and going over to his dresser to pull out fresh clothes. "Come on, let's go get you washed up."

It took them twice as long to get to the showers, mostly because Meg had to help support Lew most of the way. It reminded her of the night he carried her home from the bar. She just hoped he didn't expect a ride on her back.

Once inside, she smiled at the fact that the showers were empty. Every man was down at the pub; they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Alright, clothes off and in you go," Meg said as she turned on the shower, hoping the water would warm up quickly. While it did, she stood as far back as possible, not wanting to mess up her shoes by getting them wet. As she tested it with her hand, Lew stripped out of his clothes and walked straight into the stream, sighing at the contact with his skin.

Feeling slightly embarrassed at seeing him naked in the shower, Meg turned and began picking up his clothes off the floor.

"Let me know when you're done," she said, her back to him as she folded his dirty clothes nicely.

"Meg," he called suddenly, his voice having a slight tone of panic. Worried something was wrong, she spun on her foot and walked over to the shower to make sure everything was alright.

As soon as she was close enough, Lew's arm shot out and he grabbed her arm, dragging her under the showerhead.

"Lew!" she cried, glancing down at her now soaked dress. So much for keeping her shoes dry.

"What?" he asked, the mischievous glint back in his eye. Oh how she had missed that!

"Well, you certainly seem more sober than you were before," she said and he shrugged.

"Soberish," he told her before bending his head down to kiss her. Not an inch of her was dry (and she knew her hair was ruined) but as his lips touched hers, she didn't care. Wrapping her arms up around his shoulders, she pulled him down closer to her.

The kiss lasted for a few minutes before he pulled away, locking eyes with her despite the water dripping down their faces.

"I'm sorry," he said as he kissed her again. "I shouldn't have said any of those things. It was completely out of line."

"Lew," she said, pushing him away slightly. "Let's not talk about that now. I just want you to love me."

She didn't need to tell him twice.

* * *

_So...where have all my lovely reviewers gone? :( I feel like I'm losing one each week now... sad day. Just fyi, even one-worded reviews make me happy!_

_First, I want to give a shout out to SparkELee. She's been under the weather lately so here's to her speedy recovery. Miss you girl! Can't wait to hear what you thought of the last two chapters!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** I'm glad you loved it. Yay Toye hahaha. Sometimes he's hard to fit into the story, so I'm glad you like the scenes I have him in. And dude, I'm totally jealous of Meg too. I mean, that's half the reason why I wrote her relationship with the boys the way I did; I wish I was in the same boat hahaha. And I'm so glad you like Adam! Glad, and also sad because I'm worried about what you think of this chapter now...haha. And Happy December to you too! It's my favorite time of year so I'm excited when I hear how much other people enjoy it too haha. Thanks for your review!_

_**G. -** Yay you reviewed! I'm glad you loved it, I'll be honest some of these chapters make me worry about what you'll think haha. It's nice to hear you don't hate them hahaha. And yes, the men are adorable. You should spend tomorrow Googling them and picturing them all trying to take care of Meg while she cries. I hope you liked this chapter, since it's totally, completely (well maybe 98%) new. And sorry...but I don't think Swinson's ever going to make an appearance, other than in talking about him. Send me a pic so I know what you think he should look like! I want to picture him hot too! Thanks for your review :) Review this chapter too!_


	23. A Good Day

_It's Thursday, Thursday, gotta get down on Thursday..._

_Haha jk jk, although I sure hope I got Rebecca Black's voice stuck in your heads since it's now stuck in mine!_

_Anyway, nothing new here really. It's been kinda a bummer week. Our baby goat died Monday afternoon so that's put us all in a downer mood. She had been sick for just under a year (we think she had something metabolic) and in the last couple months she took a major turn for the worse. I think the rest of the herd is sad she's gone (at least I like to think so) but on the plus side, we still have all them so they make us happy :)_

_Wow, now that I've told you all **that** downer of a story... But on a plus note, my little sister gets home from college tomorrow! I'm so excited to see her! AND she'll be home for a whole month before she has to go back! Unfortunately, she doesn't like Supernatural... My dad and I finished Season 1 tonight (aka like, 2 minutes ago) so it took us 13 days to watch 22 episodes hahaha. (insert evil laugh here because I got my dad hooked on a show he thought was stupid mwahaha)_

_Well now that I've said all that, I guess on with the real reason you clicked on this link haha._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Meg knew the sun had risen, but she reveled in the ability to stay in bed. Stretching herself out, she sighed before curling up into a ball again. Rolling on her side, she looked around her room before her eyes fell on Adam's bed. Not willing to let anything ruin her day before it started, she turned back over and looked up at the ceiling.

Her fight with Lew the night before was still fresh in her mind. Very fresh, but she wasn't going to think about it. They had ended the night on a good note, there was no way she was going to bring it up again.

After their tryst in the shower, Meg and Lew had dried off before rushing back to Lew's bunk. She used the term "rush" loosely; Lew had still been drunk and had mostly hobbled. By the time they got through the door, Meg was practically holding him up, using all of her strength to keep him from falling face forward to the ground.

She had made quick work with stripping his clothes and tucking him into his bed. He had whispered a strangled 'thank you' before she kissed him on the forehead and ducked out before she was caught there by someone.

Now, less than eight hours later, she was ready to admit the fight was over. This wasn't the time to be pressuring Lew about his drinking. As much as she hated it, she knew he was right.

Everyone dealt with things differently, and if this was Lew's way of getting through the war, who was she to stand in his way? Besides, did she really have the authority?

A small, selfish part of her didn't want to pressure him either. She had no hold over Lew; if she pushed him too much, he could leave her at any minute. She wasn't a desperate, clingy girl by any means, but she needed Lew. He had helped her get through so much in the last few months and she knew it was only going to get worse before it got better. What would she do if she didn't have him to help her through the rest of it?

"I'm as bad as all those society girls," she moaned out loud as she rolled her body out of bed. She knew she couldn't prolong it anymore; she had to start her day. She had neglected a quarter of yesterday's letters and it would only add to her workload for today. She needed to start now if she wanted to be done by suppertime.

* * *

"Morning," she said cheerfully as she plopped down at the Easy table, grinning at the sour looks on everyone's faces. "Something wrong?"

"You're too chipper this morning," Muck mumbled, his fingers slowly tearing at his toast.

"Maybe you're all just too melancholy," she said and Toye wrinkled his nose.

"Huh?" he asked and Meg just rolled her eyes, drinking her cup of coffee before standing up and walking over to the officers' table. Harry and Dick were there, heads bent in deep conversation.

"Am I interrupting something?" Meg asked as she came to a stop, causing both of them to look up at her.

"No, not at all," Harry said as he slid over, patting the bench next to him. Meg grinned before sitting down.

"Well, how are you both this morning?" she asked, quick to note their faces. Both of them looked concerned, with a bit of shock mixed in.

"How are we? How are _you_?" Harry clarified. "Dick tells me you and Lew got into a nasty fight last night."

"Oh, we did," she tried to say casually, adding a shrug of the shoulders for good measure. "But it's all in the past."

She looked across the table at Dick, locking eyes. He smiled and tossed her a wink, telling her he understood exactly what had happened after he left. She had taken his advice, and it seemed to have worked out for the better.

"So that's just it then? No crazy fighting? No slinging words back and forth?" Harry had the nerve to sound disappointed.

"And why would you think any of that would happen?" Meg asked, reaching out to tap him on the nose before standing up. "Today is starting out to be a good day and I refuse to let anything ruin it."

"Meg?" a voice said suddenly and she smiled when she recognized it as belonging to George. Turning toward him, she frowned when he rushed in her direction quickly, not even stopping as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him.

"What is it?" she asked as they both ran in the direction of Battalion. Something seemed off; George didn't usually act this way. He was the jokester, so seeing him this serious was terrifying.

"You've got a phone call. He said it was urgent," George told her and Meg tried to pull against him; to stop him. If this was Marco calling to tell her Adam was dead, she'd rather hear it later than sooner. Whatever happened to her good day?

"George," she said slowly, finally pulling her hand free and coming to a stop. "I can continue on my way to Battalion. Can you fetch Lieutenant Nixon?" she asked. "He should still be in his barracks and it might take a good amount of effort to wake him. Please just tell him I need him to meet me at Battalion immediately?" George looked her in the eye before nodding and hurrying off in the other direction.

Feeling as if each step was carrying her closer to her doom, Meg continued in the direction of Battalion, wishing she was anywhere but there. Why had she gotten out of bed that morning? Why couldn't she have just stayed nestled in the sheets, enjoying the day before it really got started?

When she could no longer prevent the inevitable, she climbed the steps and walked through the front door. For the most part, the place was empty, save for one orderly sitting behind the main desk. Spotting her, he jumped up and ran over to the phone, holding it out.

She approached him slowly, terrified to take hold of the receiver. When he took a step forward so it was closer to her hand, she took it, raising it slowly to her ear.

"Meg Myeroff," she spoke, her voice cracking. Hearing the door open, she turned and gave a tight smile when Lew and George walked in.

"Meg," a voice said and she almost dropped the receiver, her eyes widening in shock.

"Adam?" she whimpered as she locked eyes with Lew. His eyebrows raised at the name but he didn't make any move in her direction.

"It's so good to hear your voice," Adam said and she let loose a laugh, her eyes filling with tears of joy. His voice sounded raspy, worn and tired, but at that moment she didn't care. He was alive!

"You have no idea how much I agree with you," she choked out, taking a seat in a chair next to her. "Where are you?"

"Just about to catch a plane over from France. I was at Lynette's but I found someone willing to drive me to an air force base. I just wanted to call and make sure you knew I was alright."

"Oh thank God," Meg said, her hand coming up to rest on her heart. She glanced back up at Lew and George, giving them a relieved smile as they both pulled up chairs and sat down in front of her.

"I'm coming straight to Aldbourne. I can't find a pilot willing to take me all the way up to Base so I'm just going to come there for the night and then head up tomorrow."

"Have you contacted Marco?" she asked, not even caring what the answer was. Adam was alive and that's all that mattered.

"Not yet. I'll call him when I'm done with you. I just know how much you were worried so I wanted to let you know I was alright."

"Thank you," she said. "But you should go call Marco. I'll be waiting at Battalion until you arrive so come home soon."

They said quick goodbyes and she hung up the receiver, collapsing back against the chair.

"So Adam's alright?" Lew finally asked and Meg nodded, happiness written all over her face.

"That's good to hear Meg," George said before taking a step back. "I'm just gonna go tell the boys you're alright." And with a tip of his hat, he left.

Glancing at the orderly filing paperwork, Lew reached over and grabbed Meg's arm, pulling her down the hallway and to a side office. When they were inside, he pulled her to him, hugging her tightly.

At first she had thought this was his sneaky way of getting a passionate, romantic moment between the two. However that did not seem to be on his mind as he let go of her and pulled a chair over, practically shoving her onto it.

"When's he coming back?" Lew asked, squatting down in front of her.

"Tonight hopefully. He was just getting ready to board a plane in France."

"Well we won't have too long to wait then," he told her as he stood back up and grabbed a chair, pulling it up next to her and taking her hand.

"Hold on," she said suddenly, looking at him with confusion. "How did you and George get here so fast? I sent him to wake you less than ten minutes before you showed up."

Lew smirked, making her slightly weak in the knees. Thank goodness for the chair!

"I was actually on my way to the mess hall when he came across me." At his statement Meg chuckled.

"You had me wondering if there was some secret way to wake you so quickly," she teased and he smirked before reaching out and grabbing her chair, sliding it closer to him.

"If there was, you'd know it," he said against her lips before closing the distance between them.

"Thank you Lew," Meg said, smiling at him. "Thank you for everything."

* * *

Adam finally arrived at close to four in the morning. Lew had fallen asleep, his head lulling back as he snored lightly. Meg however, was too excited to fall asleep. Any minute her brother was going to walk through those doors and she'd be able to hold him close again. It had been exactly one month since he had left Aldbourne; one month since Meg had hugged him goodbye. The fact that he was going to be back with her made it too hard to sleep.

While she waited, she had dug through the mail room, coming across a sack of letters addressed to her from the last few days. Figuring now was as good a time as ever to catch up on her work, she sat down and began decoding.

When she finally heard talking in the hallway, she shot up, nudging Lew somewhat roughly. As he stumbled over his words and tried to adjust to being awake, the door to the office opened and the orderly led Adam inside.

"Adam!" Meg cried as she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and letting him lift her into the air. "Oh thank God!" she said as she continued to squeeze him close. As they continued to hug, Meg felt Adam's head turn as he looked behind her. Setting her down, he let go of her with his right hand and judging by the footsteps behind her, Meg knew Lew was walking over.

"Lieutenant," Adam said as they shook hands.

"Welcome back Adam," Lew replied. Smiling at their pleasantries, Meg sighed. With Adam to her left and Lew to her right, this was what it felt like to be truly happy. "I should probably head back and get a few hours of shut eye. Besides, I'm sure you'd like to catch up on sleep too," Lew said and Adam nodded.

"I did get some sleep on the plane over. It looks like you two are more exhausted than I am," he teased as the three turned and headed out the door.

"Oh!" Meg shouted suddenly, releasing herself from her brother's arms and scrambling to pick up all her letters. She had almost forgotten them in her excitement to see Adam. No matter how happy he was to have him back, Meg knew Marco would not approve of her leaving letters out in the open.

"I'll catch you two tomorrow," Lew said, holding his hand up in a small wave before walking out the door.

"Oh I'm so glad you're back safe," Meg said when it was just the two of them. "You have no idea how worried I was." And she proceeded to tell him all about her scare of a few days prior as they finally headed back to their quarters.

"I'm sorry I scared you so much," Adam said as they walked inside and immediately began getting ready for bed.

"What happened?" she asked as he turned off the light.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow Meg? I'm too tired to form words."

She agreed and so they both nestled into their respective beds, falling into the first peaceful sleeps they'd both had in weeks.

* * *

"Well look who it is," Muck called out the next morning when Meg walked sleepily into the mess. She had been woken roughly by a nightmare that the phone call had been Marco telling her Adam was dead. Upon seeing his sleeping form on the bed across from her, Meg had sighed contently and nestled back in. But the images from the nightmare were still too vivid and she found she couldn't fall back asleep.

So much for sleeping in.

"Good morning," she said, putting on a false smile as she squished into her usual spot between George and Muck. "Oh I'm so happy to see you all," she said as she rested her head on George's shoulder and yawned.

"We can tell by your enthusiasm," he told her and she chuckled, closing her eyes to snuggle into his shoulder.

"So we heard Adam's back, how is he?" Floyd asked and she shrugged.

"Lucky," she said and they frowned at her in confusion. "He's still asleep. I stayed up until 4 am, working on my decoding while I waited for him."

"That's our Meg," George teased.

"Shut up," she replied before shutting both eyes again.

"I see she at least made it to the table," Adam's voice said and Meg smiled, feeling George scoot closer to her so her brother could sit down. "You look comfortable Meg," his voice said somewhere to her left and she just nodded, already half in a sleepy daze.

"I like the underworked Meg better than the overworked Meg," Bill said and she stuck out her tongue at him.

"I leave you with American men and it only takes six months for your manners go right out the window?"

The voice was new to the Easy men but as soon as Meg and Adam heard the first two words spoken they both rose to their feet quickly, arms up in a proper salute. Not quite knowing what to do, the Easy men all looked at each other.

The new speaker walked over to them, stepping into their viewpoint. He was an older man, perhaps in his mid-50s, with graying hair and a thick mustache. He was dressed in a simple black suit but the boys were quick to note there was a large, gold, circular pin on his lapel.

"Sir," Meg said, her voice adopting its deeper tone. "I apologize for the improperness of my actions."

The man laughed, nodding to the siblings.

"At ease, I'm not going to shoot you over that," he said and they both dropped their hands, turning to face the man.

"I wondered if you were gonna show up," Adam said and the man nodded, motioning to the door.

"Let's take a walk," he suggested, turning and walking out before either could argue. Adam scrambled off after him as Meg turned to the group.

"Sorry boys, duty calls," she said, tapping George on the head before turning and following after her brother and Commanding Officer. She was certainly more awake now!

The three of them walked in silence to Battalion HQ. There, Marco introduced himself to Colonel Sink quickly before requesting a private room.

"I was just about to head down and speak with my COs, you can have my office," the Colonel said and Meg gave him a smile of thanks as he headed out the door, shutting it after him.

"Alright so what's this all about?" Meg asked, crossing her arms as she turned to Marco. Again, he laughed.

"Glad you didn't act like this in front of the Yanks. They'll think I have no control over you."

Adam scoffed at Marco's statement, causing Meg to frown. Before they could get into a sibling argument however, Marco continued.

"I just knew whatever had happened to Adam was serious. Instead of waiting for him to get to Base, I decided to come here."

"Finally growing claustrophobic in our office?" Adam asked and Marco laughed deeply.

"Not so much claustrophobic as sympathetic," he explained and both Myeroff siblings frowned in confusion. "If you had heard Meg's voice on the phone all those weeks ago, you would understand. I may be a firm leader but I'm not cruel enough to pry you away from her so soon after being reunited."

Meg smiled, running forward and throwing her arms around her CO. He stumbled slightly in shock, eyes wide as he carefully returned the hug.

"It's not for long though," he explained as Meg pulled away. "I want you reporting to Base in two days for your debriefing."

Meg wanted to complain that two days was much too soon when taking into consideration the fact that two days ago she thought she'd never see him again. Still, she knew this was extremely generous for Marco. In all honesty, she wasn't sure if he'd ever done anything like this for another agent in the IIA. There was a war going on; she couldn't be selfish.

"For now, I'd like to hear what happened over there," Marco finished as he settled down into Colonel Sink's chair. Wanting to hear what happened as well, Meg sat down on Sink's desk, hoping he wouldn't mind.

"Well, my ride took me to the German border and after changing into that Kraut uniform I was able to sneak my way through to the other side. After I was over, I still had to travel only at night because that Kraut uniform was a blessing and a curse."

"How so?" Meg asked, ignoring the glare Marco was giving her. He hated when people interrupted debriefings.

"Well sure I looked like a German, but any German soldier seen on his own was considered a deserter and shot. After two days of travel I came across a town and was able to steal normal clothes. Then I was able to move a little more freely and I made it to the rendezvous point, but Swinson wasn't there. I had no way to contact anybody so I didn't know if he'd been killed, captured, or escaped and was sitting back nice and warm at Base while I was wearing my ass of searching for him.

"I waited for another four days before one morning I heard talking outside. It was a group of German soldiers and, for some reason still unknown to me, they decided to burn down the hut that was the rendezvous point. Of course, they had the place completely surrounded so I couldn't sneak out. I hid under a blanket in the center of the hut and waited until I couldn't take it anymore. I made sure to have my gun ready first and then I jumped out through a window."

"Oh!" Meg cried, again ignoring Marco. "Did they see you?"

Adam chuckled at her enthusiasm before shaking his head.

"No, they were gone. I don't know if they were ordered to burn the place down or if it was just in good fun, but they didn't stick around to see it burn to the ground. I was able to sneak into the woods nearby and nestle down into a crevice.

"Then came the problem of meeting up with Swinson. The rendezvous point was destroyed and I didn't even know if he'd still show up or if he'd see the damage from afar and not even get close enough. I couldn't contact anyone because all of my things were destroyed in the hut."

"Adam," Meg said with a role of her eyes. "That's why we were always trained to keep everything on our person."

"Yes, yes I know Little Miss Perfect Agent, no need to remind me," he said, his tone indicating that his happiness at being reunited with her was waning.

"Children," Marco said patronizingly and they both stopped. "Continue Adam."

"Anyway, I was able to sneak out of hiding at night and steal food and water from some of the local houses, but for the most part I stayed hidden. Then, after about a week, just when I was about to give up and start planning my escape out of Germany, he finally showed up. He said some bullshit about needing to wait until the right moment to sneak away, so after arguing about it for a bit, we heard more German voices. Afraid of being spotted, we crawled deeper into the woods until we came to barn. We were able to hide in there for a couple days before being able to sneak back out and head to the German border. You seriously need to train some of your agents better Marco," he added. "Swinson was one of the worst I've ever had to work with. I can't believe he was ordered on that operation."

"Well they all can't be as perfect at their job as you two," Marco said sarcastically and Meg and Adam caught eyes, smirking.

"That's unfortunate for you," Meg cut in before Adam continued.

"So anyway, we made it to the border after about five days. It took a little longer because they're moving like crazy over there. I don't know if it's because they're scared of an invasion or if they're preparing to retaliate but they're like a bunch of ants, crawling all over the place."

"Can I interrupt?" Marco asked casually and Adam stopped to look at him. "If Swinson crossed the border with you, why isn't he here with you now?"

"He's at Lynette's. He got cut on some barbed wire while we were travelling and it looked like it was infected. Lynette offered him a warm place to stay while she fixed it up. He'll be reporting to Base by tomorrow sir."

"You let one of our agents warm up at a whore house?" Marco asked, sounding angry.

"Hey, you send me there all the time," Meg began but Marco cut her off.

"Of course I do, you're a woman. The only warming up Swinson better be doing is under a bunch of blankets."

Meg and Adam snickered again as they locked eyes. Sometimes Marco was too serious about things.

"So anyway, that's pretty much it. At Lynette's I called both of you and now here I am," Adam finished somewhat lamely.

His story done, the three of them looked at each other, not quite sure what else to say. After a moment of awkward silence, Marco stood up.

"I should be off."

"Off?" Meg cried, standing as well. "But you've only just gotten here."

"And now I'm leaving," he replied in his patronizing tone. Then his face softened. "Come on Meg, you of all people should know I don't have the leisure to relax with my two favorite agents, even if I wanted to."

"So you _do_ admit we're your favorites?" she asked, a grin spreading over her face.

"If you tell anyone, I'll deny it," Marco replied before squeezing both their shoulders. "Two days Adam," he reminded them before walking out the door.

"Why does he do that?" Meg asked rhetorically.

They both watched him leave before linking arms and heading back to their quarters.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Adam asked as they walked, basking in the warm August sun. It was strange to think that it had been almost 10 months since Meg had first stepped on Aldbourne soil. So much had happened to them since then.

"Well perhaps you would be so kind as to help me decode the stack of letters sitting on our desk? It is after all partially your fault that they haven't been done."

"My fault?" Adam asked in surprise.

"I would have had them done days ago if I hadn't been so worried over your disappearance."

Adam laughed at her excuse and she smiled.

It didn't matter what would happen tomorrow, or a week from then. Today was perfect.

Unfortunately for Meg, perfect wouldn't last.

* * *

_So I guess my complaining worked haha. My reviews jumped up last chapter, so yay me! And of course yay all of you! Thanks so much! They mean a lot. I also got a bunch of new favorites/follows/everything else so thanks to all my new readers! I hope you guys are all enjoying it so please let me know what you think!_

_**ChastityHope13 -** Thanks for your review! It means a lot to hear from readers so yay! I'm glad you're really enjoying the story, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!_

_**Rose2621 -** Thanks for the review! I'm glad you love my story! Love is such a strong word, so I'm glad you used it haha. It's nice to know how much you like it!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Awww I'm sorry you're almost in tears! Confession, one of the upcoming chapters totally made me cry when I wrote it! I won't tell you which one until AFTER you read it, but I know what you mean about feeling with the characters! Yeah, Meg's pain was hard in the last chapter, so hopefully this one kind of makes up for it. Adam's alive! So yay for that haha. And you're welcome on the Joe/Meg moments :) I enjoy writing her relationships with all the different men; it's fun!_

_**G. -** You reviewed AGAIN! I'm so excited! Beyond excited! THIS chapter contained like, 15% new material (hahaha) so I'm eager to hear what you thought of that (and since apparently you enjoy reading my responses first, you should be on the lookout for the new stuff when you read haha). Once again, I'm SOOO glad you're loving this so much! It makes me happy haha. And confession, I loved that part too. I had it happening in a different scene etc, and then I ended up taking that scene out. I kinda revolved this whole new scene around that pen moment, JUST so I could keep it in haha. And yeah, there wasn't a lot of argument in my first (and second) draft, so that's something I've been trying to work on. Real relationships have argument, so theirs DEFINITELY should hahaha. As for Lew's character, you're spot on. He's more of the "this is what you get, deal with it" kind of guy, so def no cheesy promises. Hope you liked this one too!_

_**SparkELee -** Yay you're back! And I'm so glad you got all the Valkyrie stuff. I didn't want to keep making stuff up and I was like "oooo could I toss that in somehow?" and voila! I like that even though you dislike Adam, you know how important he is to her, and I'm glad you got that whole "lost" thing where he's concerned. The truth will all be told soon, but there's a special reason why she and Adam are connected and it plays a big role in why she's especially worried about his possible death (besides the obvious fact that he's her brother hahaha). As for George and Don, I think they're my favs after Lew. I love both of them in the show, so I knew I wanted to incorporate them into my story. I'm glad they don't seem forced or out of place. And yes, blow ups do happen. In all honesty, their relationship has been pretty tame in regards to arguments haha. I guess this one was just bound to happen sometime. I'm really glad you couldn't decide which side you'd take! I definitely didn't want anyone disliking a character as a result of the argument, so the fact that you felt you could agree with both makes me feel great. I'm glad you thought both the chapters were perfect. I'm really excited to see what you have to say about everything that happens from here on out. Thanks for both the reviews!_


	24. Making the Rounds

_Hey guys (imagine being said in sing-song voice)_

_Oh my God, you have NO idea what I've been through today. So I get home from work and our internet's down. Of course the first thought to go through my mind is: "Shit! My story!" and I panic and my mom's all "Calm down, if you have to post it tomorrow at work, you have to post it tomorrow at work." And then I called Windstream to talk to a representative and he's all "I'm sorry ma'am, I have no idea what the problem is. We're going to have to call you back tomorrow." and I'm all "Shit, no one's going to be home tomorrow!" So in a last minute effort, I tinkered around myself and VOILA, internet fixed! Of course, that's why this is later than usual so I apologize._

_On the plus side, i__t's almost Christmas! And we're supposed to get this huge snowstorm tonight. I'm talking 6-9 inches by Saturday night woot woot. I'm happy because we didn't have a White Christmas last year so hopefully we'll have one this year! Also,__ I feel like there's so much to do between now and Christmas, so feel happy I'm publishing today. It's my gift to you all for being so wonderful :)_

_No but seriously, between the presents I have to still buy and wrap, the cookies I have to still bake, and the Christmas movies I have to still watch, along with all the get-togethers I have to attend, I feel like I'm getting no sleep hahaha. On the plus side, tomorrow's my last day of work until next year!_

_Happy Holidays everyone! :D_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

August went by peacefully, Meg enjoying her days and nights with Adam and the men of Easy. When Adam left for Base, he was only gone for five days before returning. While he was gone, her favorite men of Easy kept her company.

The only positive of Adam being gone were the secret moments she and Lew were able to share. He was never able to stay the whole night, both of them fearing what would happen if they were caught. Still, the hours they were able to spend cuddled together in Meg's quarters were heaven. A small part of her was even slightly annoyed when Adam returned. She'd never tell him of course, for multiple reasons. She was happy to have her brother back, she just wished she could have a happy medium between him and Lew.

But despite her moaning, she did enjoy having them both there to keep her company. It became almost normal to her. She should have known it was becoming too normal. In her life she had learned that routine usually meant something was about to change.

And sure enough, in September it did.

* * *

"You've got a letter," Adam announced as he tossed a small stack of envelopes onto the table in front of Meg. She was sitting at the table with Harry and Dick, the three of them cheerfully eating breakfast when he approached them.

"It looks like I've got more than one," she teased as she set her cup of coffee down and picked up the stack.

"Yeah," Adam said, a grin on his face, "but there's one in there I think you'll especially enjoy."

"Been reading my mail again?" Meg asked before flipping through the envelopes before coming to a stop. She knew she had come across the one Adam was referring to. Setting down the rest of the envelopes, she held the letter up, staring at the return address before tearing it open and skimming its contents.

"Well go on then," Harry prompted with his usual smirk. "What's in the letter?"

"Is it a proposal?" Dick asked, for once joining in on the fun. Meg would have commented on his joke if she hadn't been too enthralled with her letter.

"Oh boy will Lew be pissed," Harry added and the two American's chuckled.

"I'm to report back to Montgomery," Meg told them, looking up with excited eyes. "Immediately."

"What for, does it say?" Adam asked, grabbing the letter from her.

"Of course it doesn't say; the man's not stupid," Meg chided as she quickly began stuffing the remainder of her breakfast in her mouth.

"So attractive," Harry said under his breath but Meg heard him and shot a dirty look in his direction.

"Captain Winters," a voice suddenly said, cutting off Meg's retort to Harry. The four of them looked up to see a nervous-looking orderly. "Colonel Sink wants to see you right away regarding the-"

"Attention!" another voice shouted and every soldier in the mess hall stood quickly, their benches all scraping against the ground. As an afterthought, Meg and Adam decided to stand as well, mostly to blend in. "Fall out. We're running five miles."

"Regarding that," the orderly finished before dashing out of the mess with the rest of the men. As the room emptied, Harry and Dick turned to Meg.

"I feel like we say goodbye to you too much," Harry said as he pulled her in for a rough hug. "But I hope I can say it to you again."

Meg smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"The same to you. I'm most likely just going back to a stuffy office. You boys will be the ones heading off to fight more. I better see you all again."

"Yes ma'am," they both said, saluting her before Dick pulled her in for a hug.

"I have a feeling you'll miss him, so I'll tell Nix you said bye?" it was more of a statement, but Dick said it in the form of a question. Almost as if he was checking that it was okay with her. Meg hadn't thought about it, but realizing she wasn't going to get to say goodbye to Lew was heartbreaking.

"Yes, of course," she stumbled out. "Thank you."

"Anytime kid," Dick said before he and Harry walked out, the last two men to leave the mess.

All alone, Meg and Adam began the walk back to their barrack.

"I seriously feel like I'm having deja vu," Adam said as they walked. "This scenario has happened to us too much in the last few months."

"At least it means we're being kept busy," Meg pointed out but Adam sighed.

"I almost wish that wasn't the case. I'd rather have just one month without one of us being rushed off somewhere."

"What are you saying?" Meg asked, coming to a stop and waiting for her brother to face her. "Do you not want to be an agent anymore?"

"Of course that's not what I'm saying," Adam laughed it off, acting as if her question was the most ridiculous one in the world. Still, Meg wasn't completely convinced by his statement. Something about his tone of voice was off, and it troubled her. She was almost about to call him out on it when she thought better of it. She was leaving; she didn't want her last conversation with Adam to be an argument.

"I guess I know what you mean," she chose to say instead. "Sometimes I wish I could just relax for a bit. I hated being out of the field for all of last year, but now that I'm back I wish I could take time off again. Not forever of course," she quickly clarified. "But just some time to myself."

"To yourself, or to you and Lieutenant Nixon?" Adam teased and Meg shoved his shoulder, blushing.

"Come on, help me pack so I can get out of here," she said, practically breaking into a run.

Truth be told, she was excited to report back to Montgomery. She had enjoyed her time with him, and she especially enjoyed that he appreciated her. The letter was directly from him, saying he had requested her personally. To know that the man appreciated her abilities enough to request her presence meant a lot to her. Sometimes she wondered if she was still cut out to be an agent, after everything that had happened recently. Then she got signs, like the letter from Montgomery, and she knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

Being an agent with the IIA was her life. Even if she was pulled off the front and was only given jobs like the one with Montgomery, she knew she would never give it up. For anything. Being an agent meant so much to her.

As she folded her clothes to pack, a brief scene flashed before her eyes. She was older, her hair just barely starting to grey. Lew was somewhat worse for wear, his hair almost completely void of the dark chocolate color she loved so much. She was cradling a small bundle in her arms while he was swinging a young boy around.

The image shocked her. Pausing in her folding for a second, she quickly glanced up to see if Adam had noticed her change in demeanor. Convinced he was still too busy going through books she should take, Meg turned back to her clothes.

What _was_ that scene? What did it mean? Was that something she wanted?

Meg had never really thought about it before. She had always only thought about herself in the now; never the future. Did she want children? A family? She didn't know, but she had to admit that picture seemed cozy.

Could she be like her parents and raise her children to be agents? As much as she loved the job, she didn't think so. She couldn't imagine being a parent and knowing what her children would go through as agents. She was still shocked that her _own_ parents let her become an agent.

But if she couldn't picture having her children become agents, could she picture herself leaving the field? Was having a family more important to her?

The questions were hard, and she sat down as she felt a headache coming on.

"Everything alright Meg?" Adam asked and she nodded, standing up again.

"Of course, just a slight headache. I have a feeling I ate too quickly," she lied as she rushed to catch up on her folding. "I'll be fine once I get on the way to London."

"Speaking of which, how are you getting there? If all the men are off running this drill, who do you have to drive you?"

Meg thought about it for a minute before turning to her brother with a smile.

"Care to take me for a long drive?"

* * *

"Miss Myeroff, I'm glad you could make it," Montgomery said almost as soon as she walked through the door. Setting her suitcase down, she saluted him before turning to her brother.

"Sir, this is my brother Adam," she said, trying not to smirk at the look on Adam's face. He looked like he was about to wet himself from excitement. She knew he was crushed he hadn't gotten to meet Eisenhower, but she was sure this made up for it.

"Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you," Adam said, saluting as well.

"At ease," Montgomery said with a smile. "Meg's spoken highly of you. It's a pleasure meeting the brother of such a highly appreciated agent."

Meg blushed, knowing Adam would tease her about the comments later. For now, he was too excited to focus on anything else.

"Meg has spoken highly of you as well sir," Adam schmoozed and Meg tried not to smirk again. "She really enjoyed her time here."

"Let's not get carried away here," Meg cut in and both men laughed.

"Well Adam, I promise not to keep your sister too long this time," Montgomery said when the laughter had died. "We've actually mostly finished with our most recent plans."

"You have?" Meg asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise. If that were the case, why did they call for her?

"Yes we have, and it involves the 101st so we thought we'd bring you in. You're well informed on that regard aren't you?"

His question caused Meg and Adam to both smirk.

"Sir, you couldn't have brought on anyone more informed," Adam said before pulling her in for a hug. "I'll be seeing you kid. Stay smart."

"Bye Adam. Keep an eye on Easy for me," Meg replied before following Montgomery into the meeting room she had grown so accustomed to.

"You know, it wasn't just my recommendation that brought you back here," Montgomery said as he and Meg continued to walk.

"It wasn't?" Meg asked, wondering what angle Marco pulled to get her in there.

"No, it was Eisenhower's too."

At his statement Meg stopped still. Turning to stare at him, she shook her head slightly, as if she was clearing it from a daze.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she asked and Montgomery laughed.

"Eisenhower said he met you a few weeks back and he was impressed with what the Colonel over at Aldbourne had to say about you. When I mentioned thinking about bringing you back on, he insisted."

Meg stood there for a minute after Montgomery headed inside. Eisenhower thought that highly of her? She had to admit this was probably the biggest moment of her career. Sometimes it was a bit sad knowing that the majority of your career would never be recognized. Meg had saved dozens of lives over the past five years and most of them would never know it was her. Being able to enjoy someone's appreciation of her was a special moment, one she intended to enjoy.

She wouldn't let either of these men down.

* * *

The next two days were spent with Meg's nose glued to the grindstone, studying and memorizing every detail of Montgomery's newest operation, Operation Market Garden. She needed to know every detail off it if she was expected to relay it to the men of the 101st in just a few days' time.

When she finally knew the operation like the back of her hand, Meg repacked all her things and started the travel back to Aldbourne.

She hadn't known she would be coming back this soon; neither had Adam. That meant none of the men would be expecting her. She always loved surprising them. Especially Lew. She definitely loved surprising him.

There hadn't been time enough to correspond with him while she was away. It had been a good amount of time since their terrible fight, but she still wasn't 100 percent comfortable around him again. She wished they lived in a time when there was no war; when they could spend unlimited time together and truly become a couple. Of course at this thought, the thought of Katharine popped into her mind and that led to a whole new bunch of worries. She was refusing to let herself even think about the domestic scene she had envisioned back at Aldbourne. That was too much for her.

"Back so soon?" Joe Toye asked when Meg walked into Battalion HQ. She smirked at him, walking over to bump her hip against his.

"Of course I am. You lads wouldn't survive one week without me here to hold your hands," she teased as she continued on her way and walked into Sink's office. "Sir, reporting for duty," she said, giving an official salute. She was under strict orders from Montgomery that, even though she knew everyone here like family, she was to keep a professional manner this time around.

"Well don't you look sharp," Colonel Sink said, standing up from his desk and walking over to take the sight of her in.

Meg had dressed in a smart dress suit, similar to what official military women wore. Of course, it wasn't a uniform by any means; she didn't have one with the IIA. It was just a classy outfit that she hoped would make her look professional and make the men take her seriously.

"I heard you're the one giving us our orders," Sink continued and Meg nodded.

"Yes sir, I'm under strict instruction to give these orders directly to all your men immediately."

Sink made a face at Meg's properness, probably because it was something he hadn't seen much of. Giving her a nod, he turned and quickly told his orderly to have all the men assembled.

"Well Miss Myeroff, if you'll follow me," he said, giving her a wink and Meg couldn't help it; she laughed. Usually Sink was the proper one, whereas she was the carefree, joyful one. Now it was the complete opposite, and she knew they both felt awkward about it.

"I apologize for my behavior," she said as they walked. "Montgomery instructed me to remain professional during this whole ordeal so the men respect me when I give them these orders."

"Meg," Sink said, pulling them to a stop and looking at her. "These men would respect you if you showed up in a ridiculous outfit, wearing feathers in your hair and paint all over your face."

She'd admit it, his comment made her laugh.

* * *

It took thirty minutes for all the men of the 101st to be assembled. While she waited, Meg took the time erecting maps, laying out instructions, and highlighting details. The group of men she would be lecturing was much larger than the class on guns she had taught all those months ago. Had it really been that long? Sometimes she was surprised with how much time had flown since her arrival at Aldbourne. That all seemed like another world.

"Oh no, they've got you leading intelligence meetings now too?" a familiar voice said and she grinned, turning to find Lewis Nixon staring at her. She was tempted to run up and hug him, but men had started to file in and she didn't want to cause a scene. She was sure most of them knew about their relationship, but she didn't want to push her luck. Especially not when she was trying to remain professional.

"I'm just here to instruct you on a new operation," she said.

"Does that mean we're moving out?" Harry asked, coming up beside her.

"I'm afraid so," she replied, her stomach dropping when she suddenly realized what that meant.

This operation was huge. If it went as planned, it would be a major victory for them. However, there was a very real chance of high casualty numbers. They had been lucky the first time around when it came to casualties. She didn't know if they'd be so lucky this time.

"Well Meg, I think they're all ready," Sink said, coming up next to the three of them. "Will you two take your seats?"

Both Harry and Lew smirked at Meg in regards to their small scolding from Sink. Hurrying to their seats, Meg shook her head before turning to address the crowd.

"I'm sure you all remember me, but I'm hoping this discussion will go better than the last one we all had together," she teased to lighten the mood. Sure enough, most of the men remembered that time when she was first introduced to them all. When the laughter had died down, she launched into her lecture.

For the next hour, Meg went over everything. She discussed tactics, showed them routes and locations on the maps, and detailed what each Company would be doing. From the looks on the men's faces, they were impressed with her leadership ability. Even Meg was impressed with herself, but more so for her ability to remember everything so well.

However when the time came for any questions, she was surprised when no one raised their hand. There was no way she could have explained that perfectly so that every single one of them understood it. Glancing around the room, she waited patiently in the hopes that someone would jump in.

Finally someone did: George Luz.

"Yes?" she asked and he smirked before standing. _Oh dear_, she thought. _Here comes an irrelevant and possibly inappropriate question._

"Could you explain the initial assault again ma'am?" he asked, no hint of humor in his voice. "I wasn't quite clear on it."

"Of course," Meg replied, slightly stunned. Was this George Luz being serious around the men? Usually the only times he acted serious was when the two of them were alone and he was helping her with a Nixon problem.

After explaining the initial assault again, she was surprised to see more hands slowly rise. Surprised and happy. She had more than ten questions to answer, so she knew the men were involved in the discussion at least somewhat.

"That went well," Lew said to her as the rest of the men all filed out when the meeting was finally done. Meg was beginning to organize her supplies and he quickly jumped in to grab some things. "You'll have to thank Luz later for helping you out."

"Helping me out?" Meg asked as she began to pull her map down from its pegs.

"Well yeah, those men all wouldn't have asked their questions if it weren't for him asking first."

"They wouldn't? Why not?"

Lew's statement confused her. Why wouldn't they want things clarified before such a big mission?

"Probably because you're a girl," he said before seeing the look on her face. "I mean woman. Sure they'll listen to you, but most of them were probably planning on asking their COs to explain the technicalities later. When Luz jumped in and asked his question, the others seemed to realize it was okay to ask theirs too."

"You're telling me those men weren't planning to ask me very important questions because I'm a woman?" she asked, both shocked and disgusted.

"Well when you put it like that..." Lew teased before seeing her face and getting serious again. "Come on Meg, what do you expect? These men can't all be as accepting of a woman working in the field as Easy has been. You've gotta admit even you've been shocked with how much the Easy guys have taken to you."

She knew he had a point, but it didn't lessen her annoyance. Seeing she wasn't going to ease up, Lew rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm.

"Come on, I think they're getting ready to serve lunch."

The two walked to the mess hall together, putting almost a foot between them. It wasn't because Meg was nervous someone would jump to conclusions, it was because she knew she couldn't be closer to him; not without wanting to touch him. Was this healthy? She didn't think so. There was no way the relationship they had with each other was healthy, and it scared her to death. Other than Adam and Marco, she hadn't been this close to anyone. She hadn't even been this close to Christian, and she had considered him one of her closest friends.

It was a terrifying realization.

When they reached the mess hall, Meg tore herself away from Lew and hurried over to the table of Easy men. Plopping down among them, she leaned over and hugged George tightly, kissing him on the cheek.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked in a gruff tone, obviously embarrassed.

"For being you," she said with a smile, ignoring the cat calls and chuckles from the rest of the group. "You helped me out today, yet again, and I won't forget it. Thank you."

And before anyone else could say anything, she turned to them and fell into their happy conversation.

* * *

The happy feelings wouldn't last for long. On the night of September 13, word was sent out that the men of the 101st would be loaded up into buses. That night, Meg snuck into the Easy Company barracks and snuggled up on George's bed while the men packed their things.

"You could get in a lot of trouble if you're caught in here," Muck warned as he walked past her holding a pair of dirty socks.

"We could all get in a lot of trouble if you're caught in here," Penkala added, but Talbert shoved his shoulder.

"Come off it. If the last female face you get to see is Meg's, you should consider yourself lucky," he chided and Meg blushed before turning serious.

"Tab don't talk like that. Of course I won't be the last female face you all see. You're going to all come back from this war and marry a bunch of beautiful girls and you better all remember to invite me to your wedding."

"You can be the flower girl," Malarkey told her and Meg laughed.

"Hey, you better return the favor," Toye warned, causing Meg to look at him with a scowl. "We better all be getting invitations to your wedding to Nixon."

"Oh stop it," Meg laughed, blushing more than she had all night.

"Don't act all coy Meg Myeroff," Muck said, coming to sit down beside her. "We've all got eyes. We all know there's something going on between you two."

Out of panic, Meg looked up at George but he shook his head and shrugged.

"I didn't say a word," he said, holding his hands up in defense. All the men in the room looked at him.

"Didn't say a word about what?" Malarkey asked.

"George!" Meg cried, but she couldn't be mad at him. She couldn't be mad at any of them right now. For all she knew, tonight would be the last night she would see some of them. Forever.

She had taken advantage of that last time; she wouldn't do the same this time. Before she left the barracks, she hugged each one, placing a soft kiss on his cheek and telling him to be safe. Then she bid them all farewell and headed out into the night.

Instead of heading back to her own warm bed, she turned in the opposite direction, heading to where Lew would most likely be.

Sure enough she could hear the deep tones of his voice as she came to a stop outside. She could also hear Harry inside, and she wondered if she should disturb them. Then she decided they wouldn't care and she knocked quickly.

"Yeah?" Harry said roughly, sticking his head out. "Oh it's you."

"Well don't sound so glum about it," Meg said as she followed him inside. Just like with the Easy men, Lew and Harry were packing up their belongings. She walked over to Lew's bed and curled up on it, similar to how she had done on George's.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Lew asked as he tossed a clean bandana into his pack.

"Just coming to say bye," she said, looking at both of them. "I've just been over with the Easy boys, saying goodbye to them as well."

"Making the rounds?" Harry teased as he sat down on his own bed, leaning back to face her.

"Exactly. I want to make sure I've wished everyone good luck before you all move out tomorrow."

"You make it sound like the end of the world," Lew laughed. Meg didn't have the heart to remind him that for some of them it would be. "We'll be back before you know it, and all those guys will be back to pestering you again, just like before."

Realizing there was no point in bringing down the mood of the evening, Meg decided to drop the somber act. She could always moan to Adam about it later. For now, she wanted to spend her last moments with Harry and Lew happily.

The three of them struck up friendly conversation, Lew soon abandoning his packing and pulling a trunk up to sit on. It was comforting to Meg, to be able to fall into this situation so easily. She'd said it once, and she'd say it again. These Easy men had certainly changed her for the better. She would never regret a single moment she spent with them.

Finally, after they had all lost track of the time, Harry glanced down at his watch.

"Ten o'clock!? I'd better go take a shower," he said, jumping up and walking out quickly. It struck Meg as odd, and she scowled before turning to look at him.

"No one said Harry was subtle," he told her before patting his thigh. Meg smirked and stood from his bed, walking over to sit on his lap. "I'm going to miss you...again," he teased as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I think I might miss you more," Meg replied, leaning up to kiss his jaw before placing a nice kiss on his lips.

"Meg," Lew whispered and the floodgates opened. Lifting her up in his arms, he carried her over to the bed and set her down, leaning over her.

"Lew we can't do this," she said, trying to push him away even though her body screamed for him to come closer.

"Yes we can," he tried to reply but she cut him off.

"I wish you were right, but we both know you aren't. You're all getting ready to leave tomorrow morning, someone could walk through that door at any minute."

Lew groaned at her statement but nodded and rolled off her. They both lay there, staring up at the ceiling before she sighed.

"I'm sorry," she started to say but he shook his head.

"Don't be. Even though you know I hate to admit it, you're right," he teased and soon she found herself laughing uncontrollably. It was too hard for Lew to handle and he joined her.

When the silliness had worn off, they both sat up, turning to each other again.

"Please promise you'll be safe?" Meg asked and Lew nodded, taking her hands in his.

"I always promise. Besides, I have your lucky charm on me, don't I?"

At his question she reached her hand out and lifted her mother's wedding ring, her fingers instantly recognizing the smooth feel of it.

"I love you," she told him, and they both kissed before he rested his forehead against hers and replied.

"I love you too."

* * *

_Since it's the holiday season and everything, you know what would make my year? Lovely Christmas presents in the form of reviews from all of you lovely reviewers! :)_

_**G. -** Yay Adam IS back! Wouldn't that suck if Adam and Lew didn't get along? Poor Meg if that were the case haha. And I'm sorry about Swinson being a mediocre spy, but you're right. At least he is hot to make up for it. What's he supposed to look like again? Also, this chapter you just read (unless you skipped to the bottom again) is the last chapter of 100% new material so I'm eager to hear what you thought! I think it's interesting that you want to know more about Marco...since you know more about him than anyone else (except me of course). Is this a hint that I need to write MORE about him? Thanks for the review Homeskillet! Merry Christmas! I can't wait to hear about what all you got :)_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** I'm glad they're happy tears this time! Yay! And I'm glad you love Adam haha. He doesn't get enough love, so it's good to hear someone besides me likes him. Right? Swinson is such an idiot. My roomie/editor says she thinks he's a super attractive man though, so maybe that makes up for it a bit? I dunno, I still think he's an idiot. I'm pretty sure they weren't taught to do that at the IIA... Anyway, I can't remember if you mentioned your Pacific story or not, but I haven't seen it yet... it's on my list though haha. And as soon as I see the series, I shall read your story! Happy Holidays dear! Thanks for the review!_

_**ActiveIngredient -** YAY a new reader! I do the EXACT same thing. I'll be all "oh I'll just check out this story and see if I want to read it..." fast forward 6 hours later and it's 1 am and I'm struggling to stay awake as I finish the last chapter haha. I'm glad you think I'm awesome :) I do too, but it's nice to hear somebody agree with me for once haha. And don't feel guilty about not reviewing all the chapters. The fact that you reviewed this one is more than enough :) And hopefully some of the things you wanted to comment on will come back to you as you read this last chapter, so feel free to let me know anything you're thinking, even if it regards chapter one hahahaha. Thanks for the review! Happy holidays and you rock too!_


	25. Survivor's Guilt

_Well hey! I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa/anything else you celebrate! Also, I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year since that will be occurring before my next chapter. And, as you've probably noticed, I published this one early! That's because my mom, sister and I are off to see Les Mis at the movie theater and it was either publish early or publish late hahaha._

_Today's a special/hard day for me. I want to ask that you all take a moment tonight to think of my small community. I don't usually go into stuff this personal, but 10 months ago today there was a shooting at my sister's high school (and my alma mater) that took the lives of 3 boys: Danny, Demetrius, and Russell. I can't believe it's already been 10 months, but since it's almost the new year, I ask that you each take a minute to think about all the kids and their families that were affected by this, and hope that this new year can bring about a new start for all of them. As is always our community's motto: one heartbeat._

_Side note, this chapter is a **BIG** one that I know A** LOT** of you have been waiting for... I don't want to give too much away, but some stuff is revealed in this chapter... wink wink._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Meg hated packing. Some people found that weird, since her job required her to move around a lot, but every time she packed, Meg felt like she was packing her whole life away. She had hoped that being stationed permanently at Aldbourne for the last three months meant that perhaps she would be here for good. Or at least until the men returned again. But here she was, folding her blouses and dresses and stuffing them in her bag.

She hoped the General had a clothes iron.

Her life had been pretty boring since the men of the 101st left back in September. She had gone back to her task of receiving and sending coded letters for the IIA. Adam had been with her for a while, before he too had been shipped off somewhere. This time he wouldn't even give in and tell Meg where he was going. The only letters she had gotten from him since then had been formal, coded ones just like all the others she read day in and day out. Occasionally he would include a one-lined note to her, but most of the time his letters stayed as professional as the rest.

Now it was December 17 and she was finally being sent on the mission Adam had alluded to months earlier. The orders from Marco had arrived three days before, giving her plenty of time to finish up the letters she had been working on and pass all the work on to another agent stationed at another military base. Now she was leaving tomorrow and it was about time she got packing.

Not that she'd need much. The General always made sure to provide her with the best clothes and jewelry that money could buy. Other than a few undergarments and a few personal things, not much was needed on her end. Especially on this trip.

Marco's letter had informed her that the General was joining Hitler in Berlin and he had written requesting that she join him. Apparently he wanted her at his side to show off, because all men of power were required to have a beautiful woman at their side. It didn't matter that to him, she was just a whore. He could dress her up and pretend she was more than that.

Sometimes Meg wondered what would happen to all these men if they found out what she was; who she was. They treated her like common street trash, but someday soon they would know who she was and what she was capable of.

Stopping to shake her head, Meg sighed. Thoughts like that would do no good on this mission. Wanting any kind of revenge wasn't healthy and she knew that. Most likely, the General would never know her as more than Vivian, the French whore. That's how it was supposed to stay. She needed to stop thinking of all this and just pack. There would be plenty of time to dwell on these ideas when the war was over.

Just as she was reaching for Gone with the Wind, a knock sounded on her door.

"Come in," she called softly as she grabbed the book and placed it in her bag. She didn't know who would be knocking; most of the men still on base wouldn't normally talk to her, let alone come to visit her. The sound of boots on the floor caused he to look up...and freeze.

Lew was standing there, dressed in his dress uniform, a bag thrown casually over his shoulder and a large grin on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Meg asked, her voice a hushed whisper.

"You know, usually people say hello," he said with a wink. In response, Meg hurried forward and threw her arms around him, causing him to drop his bag as he wrapped his arms around her in return.

"Hello," she said with a kiss before pulling back. "So what are you doing here?"

"48-hour pass," he said, not removing his arms from around her.

"But aren't you over in Europe?"

"Mourmelon," Lew said and Meg frowned in confusion.

"But you were able to get away for 48 hours to visit me?"

"Well who else would I visit?" he asked. Immediately Meg made a noise, the name Katharine on her lips. Lew seemed to realize it too and they both stood awkwardly for a moment before he cleared his throat. "After I sent Dick off to Paris I figured I'd come check on you. Make sure you haven't killed yourself out of boredom yet."

"Nearly," Meg said with a dramatic roll of her eyes and Lew chuckled. Meg's eyes searched his face, looking for any signs that he had changed or been hurt. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to a mark on his forehead.

"That?" Lew asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "Stray bullet."

Meg's eyes widened.

"A stray bullet hit you in the head? How are you not dead?"

"Grazed," he clarified with a smirk. "It went through my helmet and grazed my head. No harm done, but a little burn."

"And are those Captain's Bars?" she asked, pointing to his collar. Lew nodded and Meg smiled. "Boy, you're coming back to me all sorts of different Captain Nixon."

"You know you're still allowed to call me Lew," he told her with a chuckle, his eyes peering around the room. His laugh died as his eyes landed on her bag.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked and Meg's smile dropped.

"Germany, I think," she said and Lew's face snapped to hers.

"Orders?" he asked and she nodded.

"The General has requested I join him in Berlin-"

"Berlin!? Meg are you fucking with me?" Lew cried, grabbing Meg's arm and forcing her to look at him. She winced at the combination of his loud voice and tight grip. "After everything he's done, you'd still go all the way to Goddamn Berlin for him?"

"Lew don't make it sound like that," Meg said, keeping her voice calm. "This is my job, remember? I don't have a choice."

"But you do have a choice! Meg, I won't let you put yourself at risk like that. Berlin? Jesus, that's a death wish."

"Lewis Nixon I don't know when you were given authority over me," Meg's voice rose slightly. "This is my job, these are my orders, and I'm going."

Lew sighed, releasing her arm and putting his hands on his hips, looking at her sternly. Suddenly it was as if a wave rolled over him. His muscles relaxed, his face softened, and he reached out for her.

"C'mere," he said, his voice much softer. Meg cautiously stepped forward, allowing herself to be enveloped in his arms. "I'm sorry," he said as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "It wasn't my place to say all that."

"You're right, it wasn't," Meg said before tilting her head up to look at him. "But I love you all the more for saying it all anyway."

"I just worry about you," he continued, squeezing her a little tighter. "Any other guy doesn't have to worry about his girl getting shot or killed but here I am, the unlucky idiot of the bunch who had to fall for a spy."

Meg refrained from rolling her eyes at his use of the word spy. She wanted to remind him that he could have stuck with Katharine and then he'd be in the same boat as all the other guys but she didn't want to get into another argument so soon after the first one.

"Well I worry about you too," she said instead, leaning up to give him a quick peck. "You're at as much risk as I am; probably even more. I know you Easy boys are as close to the front lines as you can get."

"But not for the next 24 hours I'm not," he said with a smirk, lifting her up to spin her around.

"Nope, tonight you're all mine," Meg said with a laugh before leaning down to kiss Lew for real.

She never wanted to let go.

* * *

"Christ," Lew said some time later. "I had forgotten how small these beds are. I think we took advantage of that double bed in London."

The two of them were currently shoved together on her small regulation bed, continually moving to find a comfortable position for both of them.

"You could always sleep on the floor," Meg shot back and Lew let out one laugh, leaning down to kiss her bare shoulder.

"But then I'd miss this great view," he commented and she grinned, rolling around so she was facing him. "Wow, it just got a million times better," he added and she rolled her eyes, reaching up to run her finger along his jaw.

"You need to shave," she told him and he sighed.

"So I've been told. I could shave three times a day and still have stubble when I went to bed."

"If my face is all red in the morning, everyone will know who to blame," she accused and he shrugged, pulling her tighter to him.

"Baby, no one's gonna see it but you and me, and I won't judge," he teased, leaning down to give her a lazy kiss.

"You know I'm supposed to leave tomorrow," she said suddenly, causing Lew to pull back and look at her. "I suppose I should phone Lynette and tell her I'll be late and won't have time to sleep when I get to Paris."

"Hey at least this time Paris isn't occupied," Lew said, making light of the situation. "And if you went tomorrow you'd probably run into the boys. They're all there on leave."

"That's very tempting," Meg said, pretending to give it some serious thought. Lew smirked and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him and causing her to forget what they had been talking about.

"Pick them over me?" he asked as he began covering her neck and chest with kisses. "Never."

"Never," Meg repeated in a whispered sigh, closing her eyes and tilting her head back.

* * *

"Lew?" Meg whispered as the sun began to peek through the windows.

"Hm?" he grumbled as he twisted his head and got more comfortable. Meg reached her arm up and began to run her fingers slowly through his hair, smiling when she saw the goose bumps spread across his skin.

"I'm sorry I have to do this," she said and she felt him shift again, rolling on his side to look at her.

"If we're gonna have a serious conversation, can it wait until I'm completely awake?" he asked and Meg sighed, slipping down deeper into the covers. In all honesty, she hadn't gotten any sleep that whole night, she was so worried about discussing the situation with Lew. She was going to be with the General for God knew how long, doing whatever he wanted her to. She felt nauseous at the idea of sleeping with someone other than Lew, and she wanted to know if her being with the General bothered him too.

That train of thought suddenly had Katharine popping into her mind. She didn't know what Lew's wife looked like but she could assume she was beautiful and perfect; there was no other reason Lew would have rushed into the marriage so quickly. Was she prettier than Meg? Did she love Lew as much as Meg did? Did Lew love her as much as he loved Meg?

As these ideas spun through her head, she reached up and clutched her dartboard necklace tightly, relaxing in the feel of it. If Lew loved Katharine more, he wouldn't be here with her, visiting her on his short amount of free time. At least, she didn't think he would be.

"You're too tense," Lew's voice suddenly spoke out, causing her to jump.

"I didn't realize you were awake," she said and he nodded, his chin bumping against her shoulder.

"It's hard to sleep when your bedfellow is a rock," he said and she sighed, causing him to tilt his head up and open one eye. "What's wrong?" he asked and she shook her head.

"Nothing," she said, realizing she needed to say more because of the look he was giving her. "I'm worried it will make you upset," she explained and he sat up slowly, giving her his full attention. "I was just thinking about Katharine."

In that moment Meg realized that if one wanted to ruin any type of romantic mood, all they had to do was mention the other person's spouse.

"Why were you thinking about Katharine?" Lew asked, trying and failing to sound like he didn't care.

"Nothing, it's silly," Meg said, brushing it off and rolling on her side. The ideas and questions kept filling her mind however and her mouth spoke before her head could stop it. "Lew? Will you tell me about her? About Katharine?"

Lew sighed, sitting up so he was level with her.

"On one condition," he finally said and Meg leaned forward, wondering what it would be. "Tell me who hurt you. You mention being close to someone before and I want to know what he did to you."

Meg smiled a sad smile, looking down at her hands.

"Alright, but you've got the story idea just a little wrong."

She nestled in closer to him, turning so they were spooning slightly. Reaching for his arm, she pulled it across her waist, resting her head back against his chest. She stayed quiet for a minute, enjoying the sound of his heart against her ear.

"I was six when Adam and I first met Christian," she started, hoping she would be able to tell the story properly. She had never told it to anyone before; everyone had always just known it. "He was in the IIAA with us,"

"The IIAA?" Lew interrupted and Meg sighed, realizing she'd have to explain things more clearly to him.

"The International Intelligence Agency Academy. It was new, and the three of us were the first pupils. We were chosen because we were the only children whose parents were both agents. It was like a normal school with reading, writing, etcetera, but we also learned things like decoding, map reading, and languages. By the time I turned ten I was fluent in English, French and German. After that I also learned Italian but I'm still a little rusty."

"I could barely learn English in school, let alone three other languages," Lew commented and Meg chuckled, feeling some of her tension release a little.

"And you call yourself an intelligence officer...Captain," she said, and now it was his turn to chuckle. "Anyway, Adam and Christian were the same age, so they were always attached at the hip. I think back then they found it annoying that I always tagged along, but I didn't really have anyone else. When we got older, we began working together, and soon our teachers realized that not only could they mold and create three amazing agents, but they could mold and create an extremely powerful team.

"Christian was always good at deciphering and decoding. He was the best when it came to looking at a set of blueprints or a map and figuring out the quickest, safest route anywhere. Adam was the self-proclaimed leader, but neither Christian nor I argued it. He called all the shots and always took charge. I was the technical one. When I was last at Base, I still held the record for fastest dismantle of a 2-47 type A bomb."

She tilted her head and was glad to see Lew looked impressed.

"My girl, the bomb genius," he said and Meg smiled, snuggling up closer against him.

"We started doing small missions when I turned 13. Mostly little things like running messages to the other agents, listening to diplomats at restaurants, things like that. When I turned 16 we got our first big mission. There were rumors of a drug lord hiding in Africa. His wife ran an orphanage, and since both Adam and Christian were 19, I was the only one who could go in under cover.

"I was there for a month and the only man I'd ever seen was the wife's lover. One night when he came, he was drunk and started beating her. I thought he was going to kill her, so I ran to the cupboard at the back of the house where I'd stored my stuff, grabbed my gun, and shot him. It was the first time I'd ever killed anybody."

Feeling her body tense slightly, Lew wrapped both his arms tighter around her, leaning down to place a kiss on her temple.

"Adam was furious. It was the first time we'd ever gotten a black mark on a mission and he thought it was all my fault. We had to escape in the dark of the night and travel undercover back to England. I remember the whole time we traveled, Adam gave me the silent treatment and Christian hugged me. That was when I realized that I was closer to him than my own brother. We weren't fighting forever. It only took a few days for Adam to start talking to me, but that argument brought a lot of things about our relationship to light.

"After that we quickly turned into the most impressive team the IIA had. Marco quickly realized that the IIAA was a success and children of other agents started attending in the hopes that Adam, Christian and I wouldn't be the only successes.

"While that was all going on, the three of us were continuing with our missions. But things were different. Christian and I were closer and Adam knew it. Christian filled in the supportive older brother role that Adam seemed unable to fulfill. I don't know if it was because we were that age where siblings inevitably seemed to hate each other, or if it was because of what happened in Africa, but Adam turned into the third wheel and Christian and I turned into the inseparable duo. I think even Marco noticed the switch, but because it was always best to keep your teams as safe and happy as possible, he let us stay that way."

"How old were you when you got shot?" Lew asked suddenly and Meg sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Let me tell the story," she nagged teasingly. "I was 17. It was 1937 and the three of us were sent over to Spain by a confidential party to support the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. It was July of that year and the Republican forces decided to take Villanueva del Pardillo. Honestly I came out rather lucky in the whole affair. Both sides suffered major casualties so my bullet wound was minor. We were lucky neither Adam nor Christian got so much as a scratch."

Lew scoffed at her use of the word minor, but otherwise remained silent. She expected a remark from him so it took her a moment to continue with the story.

"In February of '42 we were given our biggest mission; so big it required four extra team members. We got to pick them, and the three of us spent weeks going over agent records, sitting in on IIAA classes and interviewing candidates."

"What was the mission?" Lew asked and Meg was quiet for a moment before responding.

"We were to sneak into Hitler's base camp in Berlin and blow it up."

Neither said anything, both taking in the seriousness of their orders. Lew hadn't realized just how involved she had been with the war in the past. Meg hadn't realized the significance of her returning to Hitler's base camp in Berlin tomorrow. It was almost as if fate was letting her pick up where she had left off.

"A big deal, I know," Meg said, continuing. "I honestly have no reason why Marco chose us for this mission, when he had so many more skilled agents to pick."

"I guess he thought you were capable," Lew said, trying to be supportive. Meg scoffed.

"Or maybe he knew the mission was impossible so he sent us because we were dispensable."

Lew didn't know what to say to her cynical comment so he stayed quiet again, letting her calm down before continuing. He knew it was best to give her time so she didn't stay riled up. She just needed a few deep breaths and she'd be back to normal.

Sure enough, he was right. It wasn't too long before Meg spoke again.

" Carter Smith, Maxwell Reed, Sarah Franklin, and Yvonne Maurice. That's who we chose. Adam had been injured on a previous mission so he was stuck at Base, using new technology to track everything. We all had radio communication to him but since he was out, we needed a new leader.

"I was chosen by a five to two vote. Adam and I both voted Christian, but majority ruled and I was put in charge. This was my first mission as a leader and I was scared as hell.

"When we got over there the first thing we had to do was set up the bombs. Yvonne and I did that. She was a bomb girl straight out of IIAA and together we set six bombs around the building, planning on setting them off one at a time to lessen the overall blow.

"We knew there were British prisoners being held inside somewhere so that's what the other four were doing; locating the prisoners and getting them out. When Christian called over the radio that he needed help, I chose to send Yvonne so I could get back to the detonator."

Meg paused, feeling her body begin to give away her feelings.

"Shhh," Lew whispered into her ear, brushing her hair back and kissing her cheek. "You don't have to finish," he said but she shook her head.

"I do," she said, choking back tears. "I've never told this story out loud before, I need to get it out."

"Take your time," Lew said, leaning his head back to rest against the wall.

Meg waited a few minutes, until she had everything under control, before continuing.

"I was halfway to the detonator when the first bomb went off. Then I heard Christian's voice screaming for me to get out. His voice was immediately followed by the gun shots, then the moans of pain heard through the ear pieces as each of my team members were killed. The last thing I heard was Christian telling me I could run and make it out."

She paused again, catching her breath as she tried to prevent the scene from replaying in her mind; tried to keep the sound of his voice from echoing through her head, but she knew it was useless.

_ Meg! _

_Meg you have to get out of here!_

_ Meg, listen to me, you have to get out. It's too late for me; it's too late for all of us, but you can get out. If you run you can make it. _

_Go!_

"They were all killed. Adam and I were the only team members to survive and I was the only one to return from the scene of the mission. We never even got back the bodies of the others."

"Meg," Lew said softly in a pitying tone. Meg ignored it as she continued, trying to finish before her tears took over.

"I started having nightmares, so Marco put me on 24-hour watch in the IIA hospital ward. Survivor's guilt, that's what they called it. Everyone at the IIA told me it wasn't anyone's fault, but I knew it really was _my_ fault they all died.

"It was decided I was unfit for duty and I was sent on leave to clear my head. Marco was afraid I was going to go crazy and do something drastic if I wasn't sent somewhere relaxing. Coming to Aldbourne last year was the first time I had been given orders since that mission."

They grew silent, both of them just lying there together. Lew continued to press soft kisses to the top of her head and Meg just lay there, staring ahead as she digested everything she had just said. She hadn't thought of her whole time with Adam, Christian and the IIA in years.

"I'm sorry," Lew whispered after nearly a half hour had gone by.

"I still miss him," Meg replied. "He was more of a brother to me than Adam, and I'm the reason he's dead."

"Meg listen to me," Lew said, sitting up and pulling her around to face him. "It was not your fault. These kinds of things happen, but you are not to be blamed for their deaths alright?"

"Adam told me that hundreds of times," Meg said, looking down at the bed. "But I know it was me. I was the only one to put together those bombs; and when we set them up I told Yvonne to just watch and learn, I did the whole thing. If that first bomb hadn't gone off, they wouldn't have been alerted to our presence. We would have killed Hitler and my team would still be alive."

"Yeah but then you would have never come to Aldbourne. You would have never met Easy Company and we would have never met you."

Meg looked up then, locking eyes with him.

"I would have never met you," he finished in clarification.

Not knowing what else to say or do, Meg leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Lew's neck, kissing him softly before lying back down and tugging him down with her.

"Just hold me," Meg said as she turned over to glance off into space. "Please just hold me."

He knew she was crying, but instead of commenting, he simply did as she asked.

* * *

_Wowza! I got a bunch of reviews last chapter! I was so excited when I kept getting notifications! It was like Christmas had come early (or in some cases, right on time hahahaha)_

_**caught-offsides - **Thanks! I love her friendship with George too. If her love interest hadn't been Lew, it totally would have been George, so I wanted to make their friendship extra special haha. Thanks for reviewing!_

_**ActiveIngredient -** Oh my God, I'm SO glad you love Meg! Creating a character is always a super scary thing for me, especially when lots of people seem to have a strong dislike for Mary Sues, making it even more terrifying to think "shit, what if my character IS one!?" So I'm SOOO glad you like her! And I agree, sometimes it's fun to read stories with Mary Sues; I don't hate ALL of them. But I definitely tried to make Meg more realistic. She does have flaws, and that's what makes her human :) And we have exactly the same beliefs! It was so hard writing some of this stuff because in my mind I'm all "But WHY? Katharine isn't mistreating Lew... doesn't there need to be a huge reason for this to be ok?" and then I realize that no, there doesn't. Sometimes people fall out of love. It happens. It's kinda like the movie Win a Date With Tad Hamilton. Neither man has flaws big enough to make him a definite no, so sometimes that movie's obnoxious to watch because both guys are worthy and both guys deserve her. That's sometimes how real relationships are, so that's what I'm trying to portray. It's not like Katharine's been beating Lew so he has a legit reason to cheat; he's just fallen out of love with her. Thanks for your review!_

_**IceColdInAlex - **haha it's all good. I'd wondered where you had gone! So I'm glad you're back :) As far as Market Garden goes, I had to spend so much time writing this that it was ridiculous and eventually I kinda gave up with the mindset of "Well this is my own damn story, I can do what I want" haha. I tried to research a lot of how it was planned, when it was planned, etc etc and since I'm not the biggest history buff I couldn't understand half of what I was reading (and this is on Wikipedia mind you) so I finally decided that honestly, because it was all planned so quickly, they wouldn't have had time to send for Meg and wait for her to arrive. So this is how I played it out and I'm glad you liked it haha. Yay for my story getting better and better! What did you think of this chapter? I'm glad you're still liking this story! Thanks for taking the time to review! And believe me, I totally understand about forgetting to review sometimes hahaha._

_**LovingBOBThePacific - **Thanks for your review, as always hahaha. And I agree, I like to put a face to my characters too, but sometimes it's just too damn hard. If you're able to look at the cover pic I chose for this story, that's kind of how I picture Meg (thus why I chose that pic lol). I'm curious to see what you think of this chapter, since I think you've mentioned wondering what's gone on with Christian. I could be wrong, so don't hate me haha, but I feel like you've mentioned being curious about him in one or two of your reviews. I really want to know what you think of Meg's past now that it's all laid out on the table. Sorry there are no Joe scenes in this chapter haha._

_**G. - **Well since you've skipped down here to read this, I'll first tell you that's cheating ;) And now I'll ask what you've thought of all this in this chapter. I've changed things a teeny bit (not very noticeable) but I addressed some of the things we had discussed so hopefully it all works better now haha. And I know how you feel about Katharine, so there's a bit of her mentioned in this chapter, and I think you'll remember that she comes up again very soon (Meg DID ask him about her after all haha). And aww Snow White. I haven't seen that movie in forever since I think Jenni's still terrified of it. I wonder if the VHS tape is still hidden somewhere... Anyway, Happy New Year Homeskillet! (Don't tell Courtney I took her nickname for you) and thanks for your review!_

_**SparkELee - **Welcome back dear! Thanks for BOTH your reviews yesterday! I was so excited to get them both! I'm extremely interested to hear what you think of this chapter now that Meg's entire past is all out in the open. I know you've probably been waiting for this chapter, so voila haha. And I'm glad you think I'm good at blending two tones together. That's probably because of the multiple drafts I write. I'm pretty sure that if you had seen the first copy I sent to my roomie/editor, you would probably be taking back that comment hahahaha. I think there were multiple times when she was like "Uh...shouldn't the mood of this section be more this and not that?" lol. As for last chapter being my best so far, yay! With each chapter I keep feeling like it's getting worse and worse hahaha so it's nice to hear that you and everyone else disagree with me. It's what keeps me writing! Thanks for taking the time to catch up on your reviews! You didn't have to, so the fact that you did makes me value them that much more :D_


	26. Taken Care Of

_Happy New Year!_

_I hope everyone had an excellent New Year's Eve and Day, and that you're all as excited about what 2013 has to offer as I am! Here's to a positive outlook! (Also here's to going to the gym three times a week, eating healthier, and dropping 10 more pounds hahaha)_

_Also shameless plug, I actually posted a 100% original story on FictionPress! Well, the first chapter anyway. If any of you would like to read it/leave me a wonderful review, it would be much appreciated! My name over there is the same as here, Scarlet MacDuff. The story's called 365 Days in Holidays. Thanks!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

It had been a long time since Meg was able to sleep through the night. Deep sleeps were something she wasn't used to, and she often found herself waking up at various times throughout the night. She could easily go back to bed, but she always lay there for a few minutes, taking everything in before closing her eyes again.

Tonight she woke up at 1:39 a.m. and stayed awake for longer than usual. The reason? Lewis Nixon was lying with her.

When she first woke up, she had startled herself into thinking it had all been a dream. Lew hadn't surprised her as she was packing, she hadn't told him all about Christian, and they hadn't fallen asleep together.

Rotating her body just slightly, she had heaved a sigh of relief when she realized he was still next to her. His arms were still around her and once again she felt safe and secure. She always felt safe and secure when Lew was there.

Rolling over to face him, she reached her hand up and lightly traced the contours of his face. She didn't want to wake him, so she was glad he seemed to be enjoying the deep sleep she wasn't used to. She simply wanted to enjoy him like this; asleep and peaceful.

She almost giggled at the thought. It sounded like she didn't enjoy him when he was awake! She stored that bit away in the hopes of teasing him about it in the morning. He always seemed to enjoy jokes and she rarely was able to make one on his caliber.

No, what she had really meant was enjoying him in this peaceful state. His face was more relaxed than she had ever seen, and he looked years younger than he had that evening. The wrinkles on his forehead were gone and his mouth didn't have that swoop of hardness to it.

She wondered if this was what he would look like every day if there was no war. Was this the Lewis Nixon that Katharine knew?

At the memory of Katharine, she realized that Lew had never told her about his wife the night before. Not that she would have been in a state to listen, so she was glad that the topic hadn't been brought up again. Still, it was something they would need to discuss when they both woke. She only hoped that Lew was still in a good mood in the morning, because this was not the kind of conversation she wanted to have if he was in one of his moods.

Sighing again, she rolled back over so her back was to his chest. Nestling down into his arms, she smiled when he tightened them around her. Even in his sleep, he wanted to keep her close.

* * *

"Meg," a strong voice whispered in the morning and Meg slowly opened her eyes, rolling over to look up at a very handsome face. Smiling, she reached her arms up to run her fingers through Lew's hair. She wanted to start every morning like this.

"Good morning," she said before realizing he had a concerned look on his face. As the memory of what she had told him last night came back to her, her smile disappeared too. "What is it?" she asked, wondering what could have put him in such a bad mood. Sure he had been supportive of everything last night, but maybe he was now having second thoughts. Maybe he really agreed with her; Christian's death was all her fault. And now he didn't want to be with her, because what man would want to be with a woman who had killed her closest friend?

Before she could worry about all this too much, Lew leaned back and sat down on the bed before continuing.

"I just got a message from Dick. They need me back as soon as possible so I'm taking a plane out this morning. Something about the SS Panzer Division breaking through in the Ardennes."

"What?" Meg asked, sitting up straight and pulling the sheet up tight around her. "But in all the correspondence I've gotten, none even hinted at that." Her mind erased everything she had been worrying about as this information filled her brain. She was back in agent mode; Megan Myeroff, IIA correspondent. How had the SS Panzer Division broken through without her even seeing a hint of possibility? She had looked over dozens of letters in the last week alone, and they had agents stationed practically everywhere. How come something this big not has been hinted at before?

As she sat there, a confused look wrinkling her nose and forehead, Lew leaned in and tilted her head, placing a kiss on her lips. Still in a daze as she ran over every piece of information she had received recently, it took her a moment to respond to the kiss, but by then he was already standing up from the bed again.

"I have to go now. I wish we'd had our full time together, but I promise I'll see you soon." He sobered up, sitting in front of her. "Be careful alright? And write whenever you can. I don't know if you can write to me while you're there, or if you can write to your brother, but if you can, please do. I'll worry about you until I see you again."

"The same goes for you. I'm afraid I'll find it hard to concentrate on my job while I'm worrying about you."

Lew grinned and leaned in to kiss her again before getting up and striding quickly out of the room.

All alone, Meg sighed and looked around, deciding she had best finish packing. If she wanted to keep to her original schedule, she'd have to leave Aldbourne in the next two hours.

As she threw her last few things in her bag, a realization hit her and she couldn't help scowling.

"That bastard," she whispered, half joking. Lew hadn't held up his part of the bargain! He hadn't told her about Katharine!

For a brief second Meg wondered if the SS Panzer Division story was just a diversion of his to get out of telling her his story. It certainly seemed like something he was capable of.

No, Meg decided with a shake of her head. Lew knew she was a good agent. He knew that she could easily find out if he was telling the truth or not; especially about something like this.

Still, it didn't hurt to double check, which was why she found herself hurrying to HQ with her packed bags. She only had a few minutes until she had to be on her way, but she needed to be sure of this or it would bug her for her entire mission.

What if he was lying? What if this was his way of coping out in the hopes that she would forget she'd asked? Was he really that much of a chicken? Or did that mean that he was considering going back with Katharine after this was all over? Did his escape mean that he wasn't willing to stay with her?

"Excuse me," she said as she approached the orderly at the main desk.

"What can I do for you Miss Myeroff?" he asked. At least he remembered her name.

"I was recently informed that the SS Panzer Division broke through in the Ardennes last night. Is there a way you could verify that for me?"

"Can't you call your contacts with the IIA?" the man asked in a slightly snarky tone. It caught Meg off guard and took her a moment for it to sink in.

"Watch your tone!" another man practically shouted as he came into the room. The orderly quickly stood at attention and Meg sighed at the obvious change in his attitude. "Miss Myeroff what were you asking?"

Meg repeated her question for this man, who was obviously a Major by the pin on his lapel.

"I can confirm that ma'am. It happened sometime last night. The information is just coming in now if you would like to look it over."

His statement caused a wave to wash through her. Lew hadn't been lying! All of her fears and worries were completely pointless. There was still hope yet, and that was certainly what she was going to pen in her first letter to him. She was going to let him know that she hadn't forgotten about his promise to tell her about Katharine.

* * *

After the long trip by jeep to Paris, Meg was happy to find Lynette waiting for her.

"I almost thought you weren't going to make it," the French woman said as Meg walked in, dropping her things by the doorway. Immediately a young boy grabbed it and dashed upstairs to the room. The women ignored him, instead continuing their conversation.

"I almost didn't. I had a surprise visitor last night and was this close to phoning and telling you I'd be heading straight to Berlin," Meg said before seeing Lynette's face and almost slapping herself. While Lynette was kind to her, she was also very deep in this business. She would take the idea of Lew almost as well as Marco, especially if it interfered with the work they were doing.

"What visitor? And what happened to change your mind?"

"He received orders to report back immediately so there was no reason for me to stay," Meg explained, skipping over the first question as the two of them climbed the stairs. Why did she have to open her big mouth?

"And again I'll ask, what visitor?" Lynette asked, this time slightly more forcefully.

"No one to worry about. Just a friend. Can you draw me up a lavender bath? You know it's the General's favorite."

And before Lynette could speak another word, Meg was up the stairs, following the path the boy with her things took to Lynette's room.

Picking her suitcase up off the floor, she set it on Lynette's bed. After pausing to make sure Lynette hadn't followed her, she opened it and pulled out a nice clean dress to change into. It was velvet, given to her by the General on one of her first visits with him. She hated wearing the dresses he bought her but he thought she was a poor whore; where would she be able to afford dresses that weren't bought by him?

Just as she was digging through her suitcase for a pair of heels, her hand bumped an envelope, causing her to frown. Lifting the white rectangle up, her frown deepened when she realized her name was written on the front in familiar, masculine handwriting.

"The bath's just about ready," Lynette said, walking into the room. Meg quickly dropped her hand, hiding the envelope behind her back as she turned to the woman.

"Thank you. I've had a long trip so I'm going to relax in the water for a while. I'll call for you when I'm ready to have my hair done."

Once she was settled into the tub, Meg reached for the envelope, ripping it open and pulling two sheets of paper out. There was a brief flash as she wondered whether she wanted to read the letter. What was the male version of a Dear John letter?

Shaking her head, she sighed. If she viewed the glass as half empty, she'd never get far in life. It was just as likely that this letter was simply filled with mushy romance and words of endearment.

Knowing that she wouldn't know until she read it, she glanced down and read.

_Dearest Meg,_

_As you know by now, I received orders this morning that required me to leave you earlier than anticipated. When I woke up this morning you were sleeping so soundly I couldn't bear waking you. I had decided to go for a walk in the hopes of finding us some breakfast when an orderly stumbled on me and gave me the note from Dick, telling me my presence was required (the downside of being a great intelligence officer of course). Since he found me sooner than he expected, I had some time to kill so instead of waking you from your peaceful sleep, I decided to write this for you._

_Last night may have been hard for you, telling me that story, but honestly Meg, it made me love you all the more. You've always been so strong that it's been slightly intimidating. What kind of man would I be anyway, if my girl was stronger than I was? But all jokes aside, seeing you so vulnerable last night made me want to take care of you more, love you more, and never let anything happen to you._

_I do love you Meg. It may be hard for you to realize that, or accept that, with Katharine still in my life, but I do. I wish things had been different. I wish I hadn't foolishly married Katharine all those years ago. If I'd known you would be coming along I know I wouldn't have, but I guess that's a great part of life: we can't go back and change the past._

_Last night you asked me about Katharine. After your story I didn't have the heart to tell you mine when all I wanted to do was hold you and let you know that I love you._

_Katharine and I met at Yale. I was attending classes and she was the daughter of a professor there. We ran into each other a lot and I knew she was taken by me (how could she not, with my charm?) Coming from New Jersey, I hadn't met a lot of girls who hadn't already known me growing up. And while Yale didn't lack in the department of women, none of them were as infatuated with me as Katharine. Because of this I found myself drawn into her. I thought I was in love (and maybe I was, I don't know), but I know that what I felt for her then is nothing compared for what I feel for you now._

_I'm not trying to paint Katharine in a bad light, or make it seem as though I was tricked into a marriage with her. Who knows, maybe if I hadn't enlisted so soon after the marriage things may have been different. All I know is that right now I'm regretting the mistake of marrying her so soon into my life. I do love you, and if things were different I know I would be asking you to marry me, not her._

_I worry about you Meg. An hour doesn't go by that you're not on my mind at least once or twice. On numerous occasions Dick's told me to focus more or I'm going to get myself killed. But thinking about you out there, doing what you're getting ready to do right now, makes me worried. And I'm torn. Torn because on the one side, I want to tell you to quit the IIA and stop being stupid, but on the other side I know it's what you love to do; it's what you were born to do, and how can I take that away from you? Not that I have any right to of course, which you so kindly reminded me during our argument last night._

_Please just be careful, that's all I ask. Try not to let them hurt you too much, and try not to put yourself in unnecessary trouble. For now I'll say see you later, because I know sometime soon we'll be together again, and I look forward to it._

_With all my love,_

_Lew_

"What's that?" Lynette's voice came from the doorway and Meg jumped, dropping the very bottom of the letter in the water.

"Oh no, no, no!" she cried, lifting it up and tossing it onto the carpet on reflex. Lynette walked over and picked it up, skimming the pages quickly.

"Well it's just as well," she said as she walked over to the fireplace. "If you were caught with this letter in Germany you would be shot."

"Please don't!" Meg cried just as Lynette was leaning over to toss the letter in the flames. "Not yet. You can do that when I leave, but please let me keep it to read a few more times."

Lynette looked at her harshly before her face softened. Meg knew she looked a mess. Panic was written all over her features; panic at not getting to read that letter just once more. She was pathetic, and at that moment she knew that Lynette knew it as well.

"Alright," she agreed, setting the letter down on the floor to dry as Meg heaved a sigh of relief. Her letter was safe. "But for now let's do your hair and then you can go join the girls for dinner."

Meg rarely got to spend any time with Lynette's girls, but she supposed this time it only made sense. It was dinnertime after all, and they all knew she was there. If she didn't show up they'd think Lynette was playing favorites.

Lynette helped her dry off before Meg slipped into a comfortable dress and followed her down to the dining room. There she found a handful of girls lounging around in various states of dress.

She always thought the stories she had heard of whore houses were exaggerated in poor attempts to keep "moral" children away. However whenever she spent time with the girls at Lynette's, she was reminded that most of the stories were spot on.

Some of the girls were simply in their undergarments, a situation she couldn't begin to imagine. How could one eat a meal while wearing such minimal clothing? Most, however were dressed in nightgowns or dressing gowns. All of them wore plenty of makeup and it was another reminder to Meg; a reminder that this was their job. This was how they provided for themselves and they had to look their best to do it right.

Suddenly she felt self-conscious. Compared to them, she felt like it was obvious that she wasn't one of them. She was so very different, there was no way they couldn't see it.

But none of them ever mentioned it. Instead they welcomed her into their home, some more politely than others.

"Vivian!" a voice cried as she appeared in the doorway. Turning to her left, she smiled when she spotted a blonde woman in a nightgown coming her way.

If Meg could call anyone in this house a friend, it would be Madeline. The girl was too sweet and caring to dislike. It made Meg wonder how Madeline got in the business in the first place; but if there was one rule Meg had learned, it was to never ask that.

"Hello Madeline," Meg responded in French, glad that she was able to slip into it so easily. She was always afraid she would slip up, so at least spending dinner with the girls would help her get back in the swing.

"Maybe you can give us some input," Madeline said as she pulled Meg into a nearby chair and sat down.

"Input on what?" Meg asked with a chuckle as a full plate of food was set in front of her. She knew the other girls had to pay for their meals but Lynette never charged her. Yet another kindness the woman was doing for the Allies.

"Madeline seems to think that just because a man cheats on one woman doesn't mean he'll cheat on another," said a girl named Adelaide.

"And I say once a cheater, always a cheater," announced a girl named Clarisse. Meg had never cared much for her; the girl seemed to think she was a gift to the world. She treated the other girls like dirt and often got in trouble for complaining when men didn't treat her like a princess. "If a man cheats on his wife, he's just as likely to cheat on the next girl."

"What do you think Vivian?" Madeline asked and Meg's head swirled. What could she add to this conversation? She was in the middle of an affair, probably in the worst position possible since she was the other woman. If Lew could so easily cheat on Katharine, did that mean he could just as easily cheat on her?

Perhaps he was doing so now. He and the rest of Easy were traveling all across Europe. Who's to say he wasn't spending every night with a different girl, all the while keeping Meg and Katharine on the backburners.

She threw that thought aside almost as quickly as it appeared. If she started doubting things then her whole world would fall out of place. She didn't need this type of distraction right before a mission. Besides, she trusted Lew and knew he wasn't unfaithful to her.

"I think it depends on the person," Meg chose to answer. "Some men, sure. They have no morals and relationships are just a game to them. But other men wouldn't. If a man meets his one true love after marrying someone else, does that mean he'll cheat on his true love when they're together? I don't think so. I think you need to look more into the person's personality and how they treat others. Then you'll know if he's likely to always be a cheater."

"You sound like you speak from experience," Clarisse said slyly but Meg wouldn't rise to her bait. Instead she shook her head, turning her focus to her food.

"No, I just know plenty of men on each side."

The conversation quieted after that and Madeline kept Meg's ear filled as she chatted all through the rest of the meal. Because of this, Meg barely got to eat; all of her focus was on not slipping up. When someone is sitting on your left tossing questions about your life at you and you have to lie, it's hard to focus on anything else.

It was tiring.

* * *

As Meg lay down that night, all pampered and ready for the General's caravan arrival, she pulled Lew's letter toward her, reading it over and over until she fell asleep. By the time her eyes closed, the ink was smeared and smudges of it had sunk into the pads of her fingers. She didn't care though; it made it feel like he was closer to her. She knew that in the morning she would have to leave the letter behind so Lynette could burn it. The idea crushed her heart, but she knew there was no way she could take it with her. The letter revealed too much, and if the General found it in her things, Lynette was right; she would be killed.

The brief idea that perhaps Lynette could simply mail it to Base filled Meg's brain but she quickly shot it down. She didn't want anyone else to ever read that letter, and the only way to ensure that was to have it destroyed.

Around eleven that night Meg woke, those thoughts running through her mind. Reading the letter one more time, she sighed and stood, bringing the letter over to the smoldering fire in the fireplace. After one final skim of the pages, she tossed it into the embers before she changed her mind. Then, before she could regret what she did, she turned and ran her bare feet across the wooden floor, hopping back into the bed and pulling the covers up over her head.

She didn't want anyone to hear her muffled cries.

* * *

"Vivian!" a voice spoke harshly and Meg woke, groggily looking over at the clock while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

2:36 a.m. She would never get used to these early morning departures.

"Vivian the General's driver is here to get you," Lynette said, using Meg's French name in case the driver was listening. "Quick we must get you ready."

The two women slid Meg into a long turquois dress, buttoning up the back and draping a thin silver necklace around her neck. As Meg slid on her heels, Lynette did her makeup, keeping it simple and elegant.

"Where's that letter?" Lynette asked casually as she picked up a hairbrush and began running it through Meg's hair.

"It's taken care of," Meg said, her stomach falling when she was reminded of the letter crumbling as it burned. Glancing up, she saw Lynette's firm look. "I swear it. I threw it in the fire." And seeing her depressed attitude, Lynette didn't push the issue.

Meg's hair didn't take long, just a quick brush through, before both women were hurrying down the stairs, Meg's suitcase dragging behind them.

"Good evening miss," the driver said in French, taking Meg's bag from Lynette. "Sorry to come at such a time, but General's orders," he explained and Meg shrugged as he helped her into the car.

"It's alright," she replied back, also in French. "I completely understand. Besides, I could barely sleep anyway, I was so excited to go to Berlin and see him!"

The driver chuckled as they waved goodbye to Lynette and drove off into the night, and once again she was no longer Megan Myeroff, IIA agent.

She was Vivian, an unimportant French whore.

* * *

_I got a whole bunch of reviews last chapter! How exciting! Haha._

_**G. -** Oh heyyyy. I know blouse still makes you giggle, and I can't for the life of me remember when I say it in this chapter. Obvi I need to go back and reread it haha. #2, shut up lol although I probs would have thought the same thing. #3 there's Katharine! I'm pretty sure you've read this chapter before (I can't remember if you read the edited stuff or not but I think not...) but now Katharine's story is out there voila! Side note I really like your image of Katharine. It fits well I think haha. Also, why is the second part of your review considered "not-so-fun?" I thought they were going to be harsh reviews, like "you spelled this wrong" or "this doesn't make sense!" hahahaha. And I had COMPLETELY forgotten about BOB Wednesdays. See? You HAVE seen the show before! :-P_

_**caught-offsides -** Haha yeah I know. I have tossed around a couple ideas involving George, but so far none of them have stuck as much as this one. Who knows if I'll actually get around to one of George that gets finished haha. I'll sure try though! And I'm glad you loved the chapter! Thanks for reviewing!_

_**InceColdInAlex -** Thanks for your review! I'm glad you liked Meg's backstory. I know this has kinda been what everyone's waited for so it's nice to hear so many people liked it! I'm tossing around the idea of working in some more of her backstory (mostly because you asked haha) but we'll see. There is definitely some more of it in there, but you'll just have to wait and see what that is :) As for Meg's ignorance about Holland, there was a little taste of that in this chapter too, with Meg beating herself up over not knowing about the Ardennes. I think those moments show her weaknesses, because they show she's not all knowing. Sure she's a damn good agent, but she misses things, just like everyone else._

_**ActiveIngredient -** Aw thanks for saying I rock! And thanks for the review! You rock too! And yeah, Nix never told her about Kat in the last chapter, but I think at the moment, it would have been too overwhelming for Meg. That's why I had it planned out this way. Obviously, ideally he would have told her in the morning when they had been lying there are sweetly, but he was needed back on the line haha. Stupid Germans making Nix cut his pass short! And yeah, when I read the book I was like "Woah he legit got a wound!" so I knew I had to put it in there. How could I not? hahaha Meg would be sure to notice ANYTHING different about him...especially on his face!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Ahh it's one of your favorites!? So exciting! And yeah, I haven't experienced what you mentioned with your brother's friend, but I can imagine what it feels like. Aka not too fun haha. I actually have experienced similar situations in that I always seem to fall for my guy friends...but then I don't want to start anything because idk if they'd feel the same and I don't want to ruin the friendship we have. You have no idea how many times I've told myself that "I don't want to ruin the friendship." More times than I can count hahaha. Luckily for Meg, she was never romantically linked to Christian, but I think when you're that close to someone, it's bad either way. And I don't know whether saying I'm glad you shed a tear is polite of me haha. I guess I'm glad that the chapter was so moving that it caused you to shed a tear. That's better lol thanks for your review!_

_**SparkELee -** You snuck your review in just in time hahaha. I was expecting a double review with last chapter and this one so yay! I'm glad you thought it felt authentic. I thought about adding more description/facts but then I was like "why? This tells it enough." I'm known among my friends for telling ridiculously obnoxious stories where I remember absolutely every detail that happened, and I was determined to not do that with Meg's story haha. I think Lew was able to understand (as well as the readers) what exactly she went through and what it meant to her. Plus now it makes everything in previous chapters make a little more sense. And the Lew thing was difficult. In my first draft I had him just like "ok it's your job whatevs." but then I was like "If this was someone he really, really loved, would he be that casual about it?" So I'm glad you thought it sounded good! Thanks for the review!_


	27. Spring Weather in London

_You guys are so lucky...I almost didn't get this chapter out tonight!_

_This week has been ridiculously hectic, but I'm not really sure why. I think work has just been stressful (we have our big annual dinner party coming up on Monday...a party I had to completely put together but don't get to attend) so stuff's been crazy. THEN I realized this chapter had been messed up and needed to be rewritten so that took up more time. Ughhhhhh. I literally just finished writing this all right before posting it, so please excuse any spelling/grammar errors. My mind is so dead from this week that I can't even read it over again haha. OMG That makes me such a bad person as a writer..._

_Anyway, here it is! It's shorter, but I wouldn't describe it as filler. It's sort of laying everything all out for the next few chapters. it's setting stuff up._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

It was an eleven hour drive from Paris to Berlin, give or take a few minutes. Meg slept most of the way, hoping that she wouldn't look too disheveled when they arrived. Already it felt like all of Lynette's hard work had gone down the drain. So much for that nice bath she took.

She was quick to realize that the reason for the odd hour was so they could slip into Germany unnoticed by anyone. However, by slip, she really meant casually drive right across the border in the dark of night. It distressed Meg a little to realize that the German's had found a very lax place to sneak through, so she made sure to note the location to put in her first letter. They didn't need more German's getting wise and slipping over to attack the Allied forces in France.

Meg was under strict orders to write to Marco weekly, filling the letter with anything important. She hoped the Germans wouldn't question it, especially once she told them she was only writing to her father to inform him of how wonderful Berlin was. Adam would take on his usual role of brother, allowing her to write to him almost as much. If the letters caused too much suspicion with the Germans, Meg was ordered to pass the letters along to her IIA contact to send.

The IIA contact was a mystery to Meg. She knew an agent was stationed within Hitler's staff somehow, but no one was able to give her more information before she left. Now it was too dangerous to send documentation so Meg would just have to hope she could figure it out. Every member of the IIA had been taught a certain phrase to use to identify each other, but Meg hoped the agent would know the role she was playing and approach her first.

It might be slightly awkward for her to go asking every member of Hitler's staff what they thought of the weather in London. Besides, most of them would probably speak German, the one language she was supposed to not know.

"We are here miss," the driver said suddenly, causing Meg to look up with a small gasp. She had zoned out and hadn't even realized how long they had been driving. Were they really already in Berlin? It seemed like minutes ago they had just been crossing the border.

The driver seemed to pick up on her startled face. He chuckled as he pulled the car to a stop.

"You fell asleep for about an hour," he told her and she frowned. She had? Ignoring her own question, she allowed the driver to get out and help her out of the car, remembering to act excited. All she needed now was for someone to come out and shout "action!" and she would feel like she was in a movie.

The building they were parked in front of was very large. In fact, to Meg it resembled a large castle made of stone. On the drive over, the driver had told her they were going to Hitler's bunker. This did not look like a bunker to her, and she wondered what exactly Hitler thought this would protect him from.

"Vivian," a voice said and she turned to see the General walking toward her. She felt her skin crawl and quickly plastered a look of excitement on her face. She seriously needed to keep it together and play her part. She had never been in a situation as deep as this before, she couldn't afford even the smallest slip up.

"General!" she cried, practically leaping away from the car and rushing to him. "How wonderful is this!?"

The General chuckled, brushing her away as she tried to hug him. She plastered a frown on her face and tried to look put out and being denied. Inside she was pleased. She wouldn't mind waiting as long as possible before touching him.

"Remember, I am a general, we must keep propriety," he said and she nodded, acting embarrassed at his statement.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy to be here," she said, turning to look all around. "It is a breath of fresh air from Paris, that's for sure."

"Well come in, come in. We can get you settled up in our chambers and then it will almost be time for luncheon."

"Is that when I will meet Hitler?" Meg asked, her voice showing genuine excitement. Even though she despised Hitler with every piece of her body, it was still a big deal to meet Hitler. She didn't think anyone could deny that.

"No, the Fuhrer is not here yet. He will be arriving within the next month or so," the General said as they walked up the stairs.

"Oh," Meg tried not to let her disappointment show but she knew it was written all over her face. Everyone had been under the impression that Hitler was already here; that she would be spying on him from the minute of her arrival. Now it seemed as if she would have to wait a while.

"Don't look so upset my love," the general said and Meg resisted the urge to shudder. "This will give us plenty of time to get you trained on how to behave in the presence of the Fuhrer. We don't want you slipping up, do we?" His tone was patronizing, but Meg just put a fake smile on her face and shook her head. "Good," the General said before leading her up the stairs to their chamber.

As they approached the door, a wave of dread washed over her. How soon was luncheon? Would he be planning to spend alone time with her? She had hoped to have some time in his presence to become more comfortable, but it had been so long since their last meeting she was sure he had missed her company.

Sure enough, as soon as they were in the doorway, his hands were on her. Meg gasped in surprise, being caught off guard despite expecting it. Dropping her things on the floor, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer.

Just like almost a year ago, Meg let her mind wander; let herself think it was Lew in the General's place. The only difference was that this time she had actually experienced being with Lew. Now that she knew what her favorite Captain was like, it made it harder to imagine the General as him. Still, she squeezed her eyes as tight as they would go and used all of her willpower to think of Lew instead.

"Vivian!" the General's voice shouted, immediately followed by a sharp slap on her cheek. That certainly brought her back to reality. "I said go get on the bed."

Choosing not to respond to his harsh order, Meg turned and walked over to the large bed, slipping out of her shoes as she went.

"Take off your clothes," the General demanded as he quickly took of his own.

_No foreplay tonight_, Meg thought wickedly to herself as she unbuttoned her dress and dropped it to the floor. Glancing up, she blushed when she realized the General was naked. No matter how many times she witnessed this sight, she would never grow used to it.

As he walked quickly toward her, obviously eager to get things started, Meg held back a sigh and tried to clear her mind.

_Think of Lew. Think of Lew._

* * *

For the next two weeks, Meg spent her spare time wandering the halls of Hitler's bunker, becoming familiar with her surroundings.

Her evenings were spent in the bed of the General, but he was busy during the days, giving her plenty of time on her own. While the General and his fellow officers commanded Hitler's armies, Meg took in the bunker's secrets, planning to use them against the men who invited her in.

She had hoped to find her IIA contact soon after her arrival in Berlin, but it was now two weeks in and she had yet to even suspect someone.

Three days after her arrival, Meg had approached someone she thought was acting suspicious, a driver for one of the other generals. She had approached him cautiously, not wanting to draw attention to the conversation.

"Excuse me, but what do you think of the spring weather in London?" she asked in French, trying to make it less obvious that she was talking to him. To a passerby, it might look as if she was admiring the sleek black car he was washing.

"Uh…sorry?" he responded in German, stopping mid-rinse to gap at her. "I do not speak French."

_Shit_, Meg thought, wondering how to diffuse the situation.

"Sorry?" she replied, keeping her French accent perfect. "I do not speak German."

"Vivian!" the General's voice echoed sharply across the open yard. Both Meg and the driver jumped at the harshness, each wincing. At that moment, Meg realized that the General didn't treat only her as roughly as he did. It was evident that she took his anger out on anyone and everyone below him.

"Yes sir?" Meg asked, turning and putting on a face of innocence.

"Why are you talking to that boy?" the General asked as he approached them. "Get back to work!" he shouted and the driver didn't need to be told twice. Jumping in the freshly-washed car, he was quick to put his foot to the gas, disappearing around the corner in the direction of the garages.

Alone with the General, Meg looked up at him and realized he was waiting for her to answer his question.

"I saw him washing the car and just wanted to come see it," she said, lying perfectly through her teeth. "It's a beautiful car and I just wanted to touch the shiny blackness of it."

_Shiny blackness?_ She asked herself, trying not to roll her eyes at her poor use of words. Still, the General seemed to buy her excuse, simply reaching out and grabbing her arm tightly.

"You shouldn't be outside when it is this cold out. Besides, the driver is below you. You don't talk to those kinds of people here."

Meg wanted to shout to him that most people considered whores lower than servants but she held her tongue. She couldn't go getting the General mad at her after such a short amount of time here.

* * *

Christmas came and went, but Meg barely noticed. Other than a fancy feast in the dining room that night, the Nazi Generals didn't celebrate the holiday at all. To them, the day was an extra day to spend strategizing their next military move.

Meg spent the day keeping to her room. She watched the snow out the window and thought back to the year before.

_"Merry Christmas," Lew said, holding the small box out to her. Meg didn't know what to do, so she just stood there. "Are you going to come see what it is? I swear it won't hurt you."_

_"But I didn't get you anything," Meg said softly, realizing she should have known they were going to be exchanging gifts. She should have gotten him something. Instead of commenting on her statement, Lew simply walked over and handed the small box to her._

_"Don't worry about it. I saw this and immediately thought of you, so I figured I'd get it."_

_Meg unwrapped the box as he talked, silently wondering what it could be. As she held up the beautiful silver necklace with the delicate dartboard charm, Lew smiled at her._

_"Because the first night we knew who you were, you played darts with the boys and I couldn't take my eyes off you." _

"Vivian!" the General's voice called from outside the door. "It's time for dinner."

Snapping herself from her daydream, Meg scurried from where she was seated and began getting ready. Her hair was a mess and she knew the General would want her to wear something nicer.

She hated meals with the other Germans. Even though she was there as the General's guest, they all knew what she was, and they treated her like that. If it got too out of hand, the General would step in and tell them to leave her alone, but for the most part he let the jokes and teasing go on. It was in these moments that Meg felt horrible about the girls at Lynette's. Was this how they were treated on a regular basis?

Still, she knew she had to put up with it. It was her job, and she had dealt with worse before.

* * *

_Dear Adam,_

_I'm sure by now you've heard (either from Marco or from Lew) that I've been sent to Berlin. This is what you meant when you said Marco had big plans for me! Before you ask, don't worry about me writing to you. I explained to the General a few days ago that with the Allies all over Europe, father gave me a code to write to the two of you so the letters wouldn't be intercepted. I have played my part perfectly these last couple years and they all think I'm an uneducated, simple French whore so no one suspects me of writing anything that would cause the German's harm. I don't know whether to feel relieved, or disappointed that the German's are so careless._

_Please tell Lew that I miss him terribly. I know you don't completely approve, and will probably get annoyed at me for risking everything to let him know, but please tell him that for me. He sent me a lovely letter right before I left and I only wish I could send him a letter in return without risking questions. Just let him know that I appreciated his letter and I look forward to the day when we can be together again. I only hope that that day actually comes. Please don't tell him that last part, I don't want to worry him, or make him mad at me…again._

_For now I'll keep this letter short. I promise to write to you as often as possible; at least once a week. No one really knows how long I'll be here so I don't know what to expect to keep my days busy._

_I love and miss you,_

_Meg._

* * *

It was the second week of January when a buzz filled the entire bunker. Hitler was coming. He was planning to arrive within the next week and everything had to be spotless.

The servants worked on overdrive, cleaning every room at least three times to ensure its cleanliness. The General and the other Germans were angered by this, but Meg actually enjoyed it. Even if she wasn't allowed to talk to the servants, it was nice having them around.

"Excuse me sir?" a voice called one morning while Meg and the General were enjoying breakfast in the small study that led to a patio.

"What is it?" the General asked roughly, causing Meg to wince. She had been lucky so far and the General hadn't hurt her too much. She knew it was because they were around his people, but she was still wary of anything that angered him.

"I've been ordered to clean this room," the maid said softly. Her soft blonde hair and striking blue eyes caused Meg to roll her eyes. Hitler's perfect specimen.

"Well alright," the General said as he strode from the room. "Come Vivian!"

Jumping up at hearing her name, Meg scrambled to set her napkin on the table before turning and heading to the door. As she passed the maid, the girl stepped sideways and Meg brushed shoulders with her.

"The spring weather in London is too brisk for my liking," the maid said in a jumbled French whisper. Meg's eyes widened and her eyebrows rose.

"VIVIAN!" the General shouted again.

"Go," the maid whispered, shoving Meg to the door. And before Meg could say anything to her new IIA contact, she was in the hallway being dragged away by the General.

"What have I told you about speaking to the servants?" he chided as they walked, but Meg ignored him. She knew she'd pay for it later, but she was too excited to obey.

After all her searching and worrying, she had found her contact.

* * *

_So what do you all think of Meg's mission so far? Yay? Nay? I know not much happened, but like I said, it's setting it all up_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** I'm glad you loved the chapter! Thanks for the review! As for your oldest bro's childhood friend, that IS cute! It's fun when you run into people you haven't seen in a long time!_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Ah yay! Such a nice compliment! I hate sickly-sweet stuff, but I also hate non-sweet stuff too. It's so hard to find the middle ground when you're writing (at least it is for me) so I'm so glad that you think I do it well! As for Lew and Meg's separation, I know, annoying. But they both need to go off and do their own thing, and they can't do that if the other is nearby. They'll still think of each other (obviously) but it might be awhile before they see each other again. Thanks for your review!_

_** G. - **Oh heyyyy. Geez that WAS 3 or 4 years ago. Time has seriously flown...wow. I think you, more than anyone, know that all Meg's internal babble/freak-outage is something I would most likely do. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've acted like her on many occasions...and then you have had to hand me tissues while I cry hahaha. (Weren't you so lucky?) And I'm pretty sure I remember a couple times when I was the one handing over the tissues haha. Anywho...I wonder how you and I would legit act if one or the other of us had a Lew in our lives... Could you imagine that situation? hahaha. Sanks for the review!_


	28. Let It Be Over

_Okay, first I owe all of you an apology. I know I said I'd always put my chapters up Thursday evening and it's already 24 hours late! I'm really, really sorry! But I promise it was a good reason. This week has been hectic beyond belief, and while I can't go into details now, let's just keep our fingers crossed! If things go my way, my life may be getting a MAJOR improvement!_

_Anyway, on with this chapter. It's been hard because, although I have this whole story finished, there was this large segment where I wrote an author's note which said: "Fill this all in later!" and then I never did...and since this was all written over six months ago, it's hard to get back in my mindset. But never fear, I shall not give up!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

Meg closed and opened her eyes in the hopes of adjusting them to the darkness. It was almost three in the morning and she was tiptoeing through all the rooms, hoping to come across her contact somehow.

After the General had dragged her from the sudden meeting, Meg hadn't been able to take her mind off the girl. Finally, she had a kindred spirit in this place with her. Just the thought of that sent a wave of relief through her. It didn't matter if she and the girl didn't get along at all, at least it was someone on her side.

"What are you doing?" a male voice suddenly asked and Meg jumped, just barely holding in a shriek. Turning around, she threw a hand up to her chest and forced out a chuckle.

"Oh you frightened me," she said in French, despite the fact that the tall man had asked his question in German. It was obvious he was one of the many guards Hitler had running around to ensure their safety.

"What are you doing down here?" the man repeated in French and Meg was quick to note his tone. No false formalities when no one else was around. She was a whore, and she was going to be treated like one.

"I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to disturb the General," she began to explain. "I thought I could come down here to the..." she trailed off as she looked around the room they were in, "the dining room and spend some time to myself."

"You're not allowed in here without supervision," the man said and Meg sighed, realizing it would be easier to agree than argue.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that," she said as she started toward the door. However, a shadow in the doorway caused them both to stop.

"What's going on?" a familiar voice asked and Meg silently thanked the God above.

Her contact, the blonde haired, blue eyed maid, was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips as she looked at the two of them.

"I found Hitler's slut wandering in here," she heard the man say in German and she had to resist the urge to react. It was appalling that, not only would he refer to her as that out loud, but that he would say it to another woman.

"I don't like your language sir," the contact said in German before motioning to Meg. "Come dear, I'll show you back to your room."

And before the man could protest, the two women were off down the hall.

"What's-" Meg started but the woman clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shh," she whispered harshly before shoving them both in a side room and shutting the door. "Keep your voice down or we'll be heard."

"Don't you think this is a little dangerous then?" Meg accused, already annoyed at the other girl's scolding behavior. Didn't she know who Meg was? Didn't she know this wasn't Meg's first mission?

"Not if we go over in the corner and keep our voices hushed," the girl said as she walked over to a nice window seat and sat down, patting the cushion beside her. "I'm so glad we were finally able to make contact. All those days of serving you dinner and I couldn't figure out a way to get a word in. I was worried it would be months before we could speak."

"How long have you known about me?" Meg asked, thinking it unfair that Marco had told this girl about Meg, but hadn't told Meg about the girl.

"Since your arrival," the girl said. "Like I said, I've been trying to speak to you for days, but the opportunity hadn't struck until now."

"Well, you obviously know who I am then," Meg said, trying not to sound as put out as she was. That was just like Marco; he had so much faith in her that sometimes he forgot to tell her important things. Things like the name and information of her contact.

"My name's Lydia. Lydia Farrow," the girl said, holding out her hand for a formal handshake. "I must say that it's an honor to meet you Miss. Myeroff."

"Please, call me Meg," Mag said with a small roll of her eyes. Luckily it was dark and the girl didn't see. "However, since we're here it would probably be best if you called me Vivian."

"Yes of course, Vivian," Lydia said to herself. "Then I suppose it's only right you call me Birgit. That's my name while I'm here."

"How old are you?" Meg asked, thinking that was the simplest of all the questions in her mind.

"The same as you," Lydia told her. "I know because I was a year behind you in the IIAA and Marco always spoke so highly of you."

"So have you been in the field since then?" Meg asked, hoping that the girl said yes. At least she wouldn't be stuck with a novice as her contact.

Before the girl could reply however, the sound of a door shutting caused them both to jump.

"This is dangerous," Meg said as she pulled them both up. "We've already risked too much for the short amount of time that we've been sitting here. We'll have plenty of time to discuss things later. For now, I am glad to know who you are, and to know I'm not alone."

"The same to you Vivian. I hope we can be friends," Lydia replied before sneaking out of the door. Meg waited a moment before also disappearing into the dark.

Friends? Would it be possible for her to be friends with another agent? With another woman? It had been a long time since she had had female company, if one didn't count the whores at Lynette's. In fact, she couldn't think of a time when she had been close to another woman, save for her mother. Her life had always been surrounded with male companions, first at the IIA, then in the field, then with the men of Easy. Would she have the abilities to be friends with another woman?

The thoughts filled her head, so that when she finally climbed back into bed with the General, she couldn't fall back asleep.

At dawn she finally came to a decision.

She didn't know if she could be friends with another woman, but she was certainly willing to try.

* * *

A couple weeks later, the halls willed with the buzz of servants chatter.

Hitler was finally coming.

Meg was kept in her room, out of the way, while the General assisted in the preparations. Everything must be perfect for his arrival, which meant all the Generals were required to work overtime to achieve that.

Even the servants days were full, meaning Meg couldn't even try to speak to Lydia again. The girl was constantly busy; every minute spent getting every inch of the building ready for Hitler's arrival.

Finally, Meg was sitting in the windowsill of her room, reading a book, when she heard the sound of a car engine. Looking out the window, she gasped when she saw who stepped from the vehicle.

Although she had never seen him in person, there was no mistaking Hitler.

"He is here," the General said as he opened the bedroom door. Immediately, Meg dropped her book and stood up.

"Am I to meet him now?" she asked but the General shook his head as if this was the most ridiculous question.

"Of course not. The arrival of the Fuhrer is no place for a girl like you. You will meet him at supper tonight."

And before Meg could reply, the General was out of the room.

She knew she shouldn't be offended by him calling her "a girl like you." After all, that was the role she was playing. Still, she couldn't help but be angry for all the women who truly fit his description.

At supper that night, Meg had the amazing and terrifying opportunity of meeting both Hitler and his mistress. While she had once lead a mission to kill the man in front of her, she had never actually seen him in person. Despite hating him, there was still a feel of intimidation in her as she took him all in. He may be evil, but he was still extremely powerful.

"Miss Vivian," he said, leaning forward to kiss her hand. "I hope you are enjoying Berlin."

The phrase was said in German and Meg was proud of herself for not faltering. Although she had understood him, her cover did not understand German so instead she turned from Hitler to the General with a slightly confused look on her face.

"Uh, she does not speak German Mein Fuhrer," he explained quickly, "only French."

"Ah, Francais," Hitler responded with a laugh before turning to repeat the question to her in French this time.

"Oh I am enjoying it very much," she said, hoping she sounded like a girl who didn't get out much. "It is very beautiful, I thank you for allowing me to stay here in your home."

A few of the men in the room chuckled before they all walked into the dining room.

"Remember, do not speak unless you are spoken to," the General whispered harshly, giving her arm a quick tug to show her he was being serious. Meg nodded, gulping lightly as the General led her to a seat and helped her sit down.

"So tell me Vivian," Hitler said immediately after everyone had been seated, turning to her. "What is it like living in Paris now that the Allies have taken over?"

"Oh, not nearly as much fun as before," Meg said, trying to phrase everything perfectly. "The American soldiers are not as nice as the Germans. When will the Germans be coming back?"

The men all laughed at her naive question.

"Hopefully soon," the general said and Hitler nodded, turning his attention to someone else in the group.

"Miss Vivian," Eva, Hitler's mistress, said. She leaned across the table, tuning out the men's conversation. "You have the most beautiful hair. You must let me play with it sometime. I'm sure we could get it to do the most wonderful styles!"

Meg had heard the woman was interesting, but the gossip did not prepare her for the real thing. Eva seemed eccentric. She did not seem to care that the things she said were ridiculous and not appropriate for certain audiences; she spoke her mind as a child would.

"I would love that Ma'am," Meg said, bowing her head in fake embarrassment. "The other women I live with are not friendly with me because they are jealous of the General. It has been a long time since I've had woman companionship."

She felt a pinch on her thigh and jumped, turning to see the General frowning at her. She didn't know what she could have possibly said, but she knew she'd pay for it later.

"Of course my dear!" Eva practically shouted with a clap of her hands. "If it's just the two of us together, we must become friends."

Ignoring the General's continued pinch in her thigh, Meg smiled and nodded before reaching for her wine glass.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sure enough, as soon as they made it to the room, the General flung her across it until she hit the wall.

"What have I told you?" the General cried, rushing over to pick her off the floor and shove her again. "Do not ever mention where you come from! Now they all know you are a common French whore!"

Meg thought his anger was a little silly. They all had to know exactly where she came from; it was completely obvious. Still, she played her role and began to cry apologies.

"I'm sorry sir, I wasn't thinking. It will never happen again, I swear," she practically groveled at his feet. Still, it did not prevent him from pulling her up and ripping her dress off her shoulders. She ignored the sound of ripping fabric as she gave in, becoming the limp doll she became every night.

"Of course you will never let it happen again!" the General shouted as he pulled off his own clothes. "You know well what I do when you misbehave. We don't need any more of that happening while you are a guest in this house."

"Yes sir," Meg said with a sigh, accepting her fate for the night.

_Please let it be over._

* * *

"Vivian?"

The voice sounded familiar and Meg jumped, hurrying over to the door. She had been in Berlin for just under two months and was already going out of her mind crazy. Her days were still mostly spent in her room, reading through books Eva gave her to read, or writing letters, or staring out at the scenery. It was cold in Berlin in January so she mostly spent her time in doors.

She wished she could spend more time with Lydia. The girl was sweet and Meg was surprised to admit that she enjoyed their brief moments together. It was nice to have a comrade, a friend to help her stay sane.

The morning after that night with the General, Lydia had kindly soaked Meg's bruises and washed her cuts. Since then the General had been gentler, but Lydia always made sure to look the older woman over when they got together. It was nice to know someone was looking out for her.

Thinking of someone caring for her brought her mind back to Easy Company. She wondered what they had done for Christmas and the New Year. She hadn't heard back from Adam since the letter she had sent soon after her arrival. It worried her to wonder what he was up to, but she knew he could take care of himself.

Thinking of Adam made her think of Lew, something she had been trying not to do. She knew she had been away from him for longer periods of time than this, but this time it was harder. For one thing, they were much closer than they had been before; their romance was much more serious and much more passionate. She missed having him near. On a more dreadful note, she didn't know what their futures held. For all she knew, their moments together back in December could have been their last. She could very well die on this mission, and it was just as likely that Lew could be killed on the lines. Both of them were risking their lives for their countries, and it hadn't completely hit her until now.

Many times she had sat down at her desk, intent on writing Lew a passionate letter of love. She didn't care if she was caught; she wanted to give him one last thing to remember her by.

Of course than her sensible side took over and she'd realize that her idea was foolish. She was an agent first and foremost; she couldn't toss that aside for the sake of love.

"Vivian?" the voice called again, just as Meg pulled the door open, pausing when she saw Eva on the other side.

"Oh! Miss Braun," she said, giving a little curtsey for propriety.

"Vivian please, I've told you many times to call me Eva," Eva said, reaching out to take both Meg's hands in her own. "Now come with me, I want to show you something."

Meg was pleased Eva spoke French. It definitely helped her a little to know that a woman here, Lydia the servant aside, could speak the same language she had to pretend she only knew. It helped keep her from foolishly running to Lydia's side and blowing their cover. Still, no matter how many times it happened, Meg was always surprised when Eva showed up at her door.

"Where are we going?" Meg asked and Eva smiled, a twinkle in her eye.

"It's a surprise, now grab a coat and boots."

All bundled up, the two women headed outside, stopping in front of a horse-drawn sleigh.

"Oh Eva!" Meg gasped, forgetting for a moment that she was supposed to be a poor French whore. "I've always wanted to go for a sleigh ride!"

"And now you shall," Eva said, pulling the girl up into the sleigh with her. When they were all settled, the driver cracked his whip and the horses took off, bells jingling as they drove through the snow.

This was how it was. Meg was mostly the outcast, staying in her room unless she was called upon for meals. Occasionally Eva would come to her and the two women would do something fun, but for the most part Meg was alone.

* * *

_Okay so I was just thinking about this: I'm trying to picture what I think all my characters would look like. Meg is the girl in the cover image, obviously, but I'm interested in what you all think the characters look like (well, MY characters haha. We know what the Easy boys look like). I'm eager to see if anyone has imagined them as anyone throughout reading this story! I have a few ideas in MY head, but I'm more interested to hear all yours first!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Thanks for your review! And thanks! I was worried some people might not like the fact that I've strayed from just the boys, but personally I feel like we know what happens to them from the show/book. I didn't want to try to shove Meg into every scene of theirs, so I felt this was more realistic :) And that picture of you sounds so cute! hahahah I love my baby pics, but mostly because I was an adorable baby...and then I grew up all awkward hahahaha._

_**SparkELee -** Yay your reviews made it just in time! I'm excited that you wonder about where the story is going. Sometimes I feel like my story plots are really predictable, so it's exciting for me to hear that you don't really have an idea. Yay! haha And I'm sorry the chapter before last caused you pain :( Although I guess the selfish part of me is glad that my writing and characters are so good to make you feel that way. I swear I'm not cruel hahaha. And I want Meg to have that inner turmoil, so I'm glad you picked up on it. If you think about it, her life up until now has all been sort of robotic. It's mission after mission, doing her duty and only being close to her partners. Now she's got Lew (and the other men of Easy) and she's realizing what else is out there. I'm glad you think my juggling of characters is good. Sometimes I read stories (or see movies) and there are so many characters I can't keep track of them all. I'm trying to stick to a good number and give them enough characterization to make them memorable. I'm glad it's working! haha thanks for your reviews!_


	29. You Could Do It

_Ahhh guys! GUYS! I have awesome news!_

_Ready? Drumroll please... (drumroll? More like eyeroll hahaha) Anyway, I got a new job!_

_Yup, that's right. After a year at this job that I can't stand, and almost 6 months looking for a new one, I finally have a new job! I start next week and I'm sooo excited! Just as a warning though, I have no idea what's going to happen with this job in the next couple weeks (i.e. I know I'm flying across the country the first week of Feb for a conference yippee!) so I don't know what's going to happen with posting... I'm going to try my hardest to stick with the every Thursday thing, but I don't want to make promises I might not be able to keep. I WILL post the whole thing though, never fear!_

_Second note: I have a new obsession. Aaron Tveit. Google him. Tell me what you think._

_I also want to take a second to wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my roomie/editor! Without her, this story would suck way more than it does haha, so yay Homeskillet!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

After two months in Berlin Meg was growing bored. She had read all of Eva's books in French, had written more letters than she could count, and was sick of walking around the corridors. Sometimes Meg was able to sneak off and spend a few minutes with Lydia, but if she was being completely honest, 95 percent of her time was spent alone. In her room. The general seemed to have grown tired of her, only requesting her presence at night, when he would treat her as harshly in the bedroom as he always had.

Meg had to do something. Fast.

There was one plus to her situation. It meant she could write a lot of letters. There was another plus to her situation. Lydia wasn't watched as much as she was, so it was easy for her to get out of the house and down to the local pub. Stationed in the pub was Pierre, a French man sympathetic with the Allies. He had the ability to transfer mail and information across the border. Meg didn't know exactly how, and she certainly wasn't going to dig up the details. She was just pleased that there was an easier way to get Adam and Marco news.

It was still dangerous. She had to keep her letters hidden underneath the mattresses of their bed. If she wiggled one of the wooden braces enough, it came lose and she could stuff a couple pieces of paper and two envelopes underneath.

She also had to keep writing to Marco to keep up her persona of having a father to write to. Those letters were filled with fluffy nonsense, all for show. The real juice was included in code in the letters Pierre delivered for her.

_Dearest Adam,_

_It was so nice to get your letter. Before you worry, it was delivered completely safely by Pierre. I'm glad to hear all the boys of Easy are doing well. Did you tell Lew I missed him? Because I do; terribly. Please tell him that with Pierre to deliver post, I plan to write him a letter when I finish with yours. However, it would be best if you both didn't send me as much mail as I send you. It's easy for me to write a letter and immediately hand it off to Lydia to give to Pierre, but it's harder for me to conceal a letter I've received. In fact, I had to throw your letter into the fireplace right after I read it. I'm not sure if I'll have the ability to do that every time, so for my safety, our correspondence should probably stay light._

_I wrote a letter to Marco the other day, but I'll tell you the same thing in case you hadn't heard from him. Hitler hasn't done much since his arrival. He spends most of his time in his office, one of the many places I'm not allowed to enter. I was hoping it would be as easy to extract information here as it was when I would spend time with the General in France. However, it is indeed much harder. I don't necessarily think it's because they're trying to keep things away from me out of fear of secrets getting out. Instead, I think it's more that they feel I'm below them and don't have a place there._

_I promise to write more to you when it comes along. For now, my days are just spent in my room. Believe me, it's incredibly boring. Please let something exciting happen soon so that I can join in the fighting and have some fun!_

_Your sister,_

_Meg_

Finishing that letter, she sighed and folded it up before pulling a blank sheet toward her. Time to write a much needed letter to Lew.

_My love,_

No, too cheesy. She crumpled it up and stuffed it in her pocket. Focusing on a new piece of paper, she thought hard before simply writing his name. She didn't need to include overly exaggerated terms of endearment. Lew didn't need a fancy word before his name to know she loved him.

_Lew,_

_I miss you. Please know that those three words don't do it justice. My whole body craves to have you nearby, even just for me to touch your hand or brush shoulders. I just wish I could look upon you, even from afar. I don't know how long it's been since we've seen each other, and frankly I don't care about the days. All I know is that it has been torture and I can hardly bare it._

_I know you wish you could know about what's going on, but you know I can't tell you. I wish I could. I wish I could tell you about my past with these men, and everything that's happened with them, but it's all still classified. Maybe someday, after all this is over, we can discuss it all. For now, just know that I'm fine and I'm safe. I've met my contact, a lovely girl named Lydia, and she has kept me from going too crazy here._

_In regards to letters, please don't reply to this. I risk my life just by writing this, and I don't want to imagine what would happen if someone found a letter from you on my person. I hate to say this, but for my safety, please don't ever send me a letter. I know I'll be seeing you soon, and I just wanted to send you a letter so you knew what was going on._

_Once again, I miss you, and I love you very much._

_Meg_

Sealing both envelopes, Meg slipped them down the front of her dress and slowly opened the door, peeking down the hall. Although no one had specifically told her she couldn't leave the room, the last thing she wanted was to get in trouble. Especially with the letters she had beneath her dress.

She knew Lydia would be down in the kitchen, most likely getting dinner ready for that evening. All Meg had to do was walk by the doorway and make sure she got Lydia's attention. Then the two women would meet in the small study and quickly exchange the letters.

That was the most terrifying moment for Meg. When Lydia had her letters, it was up to her; Meg no longer had a role. It was out of her hands, but she would still have to pay if the letters were found. Having no control was something new to her, and something she didn't think she'd ever get used to.

Walking down the hall, Meg turned the corner to the stairs and bumped straight into a larger figure. She cringed when she heard the envelopes crinkle between her dress. She hoped the butler standing before her hadn't heard, but judging by his face, he had.

"Bonjour monsieur," she said before sidestepping him and continuing down the steps.

Phew!

"You know," Lydia said as she joined Meg in the sitting room. "It would be nice if this was all over and we didn't have to sneak around."

"I concur," Meg said as she pulled the two envelopes out of her dress and handed them over. Lydia stuffed them down her collar as she smirked.

"Then why don't you do something about it?"

"What?" Meg asked, slightly confused. What was Lydia talking about?

"Meg," Lydia said, reaching out and pulling the agent closer. "You could do it you know. Kill Hitler," she added at Meg's blank stare.

At her statement, Meg reeled back. Kill Hitler? Could she?

She had almost done it before, but back then she had been part of a team. An unsuccessful team. Could she do it again? Marco had specifically said that she would only be obtaining information about Hitler. He had never once mentioned assassination.

Still, this could be her chance; her chance to prove that she was the agent everyone thought she was. She knew what they all thought of her. The flop that traveled a downward spiral after her botched mission. If she didn't pick it up soon, they'd take her out of the IIAA lesson plans.

In an unusual move, she thought about the fame of it all. People would know that Meg Myeroff, IIA agent, had been the one to kill Hitler and bring about the end of the war. For once, her talents and accomplishments would be appreciated by more than a handful of people at the IIA.

Shaking her head, she cleared that notion. Her job wasn't about fame; it was about doing what was right and saving lives.

"I don't know Lydia," she said as she turned to go.

"I know you could do it Meg. You're already in the inner circle. Hell, you've been taking mental notes for weeks! Who better than you? Would you rather have Marco send in someone else to use your notes to do the job?"

Meg knew she shouldn't listen to what the girl was saying. Lydia was younger than her, and not nearly as experienced. Meg needed to keep a sound head on her shoulders and know that what Lydia was saying was not possible.

"Lydia please," she begged before disappearing out the door.

* * *

Lydia's idea refused to leave Meg's head. It plagued her all through dinner, as she sat there politely listening to the men speak. She sat to Hitler's right, and as she passed him the plate of turkey, she realized how easy it would be to pull a small canister of poison from her sleeve and dash it on top.

When they all stood and headed into the parlor, Meg focused on Hitler's back, noting the lack of security and how easy it would be to slip her dinner knife into her hand and stab him as she walked by.

She shook her head, putting a hand up to steady it.

"Vivian dear, are you alright?" Eva asked, a concerned look on her face.

"What? Oh yes, I just have a headache," she lied and the other woman sighed and linked their arms together.

"I'm going to take Miss Vivian up to bed," she explained before the two of them walked out the door and down the hall.

As they walked, Eva struck up conversation, but Meg tuned her out.

Lydia was right, she could kill Hitler.

Could, and would.

* * *

Meg wanted to plan everything with Lydia. Run it through her head as a second opinion. However, getting enough time to do so was impossible so Meg did most of the planning on her own.

As part of her task as a maid, Lydia had mapped out the whole bunker from top to bottom, highlighting specific rooms and hallways. It was that map that Meg now studied, memorizing the distance between her room and Hitler's.

Taking notes in a small notebook she kept hidden under her dresser, she kept tabs on everyone's daily routines, noting when they were in certain places on a regular basis.

As Valentine's Day rolled around, she decided it was time to put her plan into action.

The first step was to write Adam a letter.

_Dear Adam,_

_I'm writing you on a very important matter, one which I am afraid to put into writing but one I also know I need to tell you. I have been debating this for many weeks and have finally decided I have the best opportunity to do so._

_I plan to kill Hitler._

_Now please, before you read this and try to figure out a way to stop me, read what I have to say._

_Who better to do the job than someone who has been with him for two months and knows his daily routines? I've been studying everything I can: maps, schedules, habits. I know what I'm doing and how I plan to do it._

_We can only hope that I will go undetected, but if the worst should happen, know that I love you very much and I did this for us and for the world. If my life is the price of the war ending, I will gladly pay that sacrifice._

_Adam, can you please be the one to tell Lew? I don't want him to hear it from anyone else if the mission should be unsuccessful. Please..._

_Your loving sister (who will always love you more than life itself),_

_Meg._

She tossed around the idea of writing Lew as well, but after staring at a blank page for twenty minutes, she realized she couldn't. How could she put into words what she was feeling? How could she tell Lew goodbye in a letter?

She couldn't, and she knew it would be better if he heard it from a person; from Adam. She didn't want him to open a letter, expecting flowing words of love, only to find such a horrible message.

No, it was better if she kept her correspondence to Adam. She wouldn't even write to Marco. Adam would have to tell him as well, but she knew he could do it. He had been the one to tell Marco about the deaths of their team. He could do it again.

* * *

That night, Meg waited until the General was sound asleep. She was lucky to find out early in their relationship that when he finally did go to sleep, he was a deep sleeper. Heading to the far corner of the room, she grabbed her bathrobe, putting it on. If someone saw her in the hallway, wearing her bathrobe at two a.m. was less suspicious than wearing clothes.

After ten minutes of retying her sash she finally realized she was stalling.

"Pull yourself together girl," she said under her breath as she dropped to the floor and reached under the dresser. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she reached up and loosened the wooden track for the bottom drawer, pulling out her small handgun. She had kept this gun here since her arrival and the fact that no one had checked her or her room made her both concerned and relieved. Concerned because these Germans were obviously not as aware of the people surrounding them as they should be.

Slipping the gun into the pocket of her bathrobe, she checked the General one last time before tiptoeing out of the room and into the hallway.

Because the General was so high up, his room was not far from Hitler's. Still, it took Meg about fifteen minutes to walk halfway there, mostly because she went at such a slow pace. She told herself that was because she didn't want to move fast and make loud noises, but in reality she was terrified of what she was about to do. Who wouldn't be? By this time tomorrow, she would either be a hero, or dead. She didn't know which one terrified her more at the moment.

As she tiptoed, she quickly realized another thing pathetically silly about the Germans: Hitler didn't have guards outside his bedroom door. Apparently he was so trusting of the people who lived with him that he didn't need protection at night. She wasn't going to complain though, since she'd have a much easier time without guards.

Finally reaching that dreaded bedroom door, Meg stopped, putting her hand to her stomach as she took a deep breath. This was it; once she walked through that door there was no turning back.

An unwelcome flicker of Eva looking at her in fear crossed through her mind. She had no idea what she would do about Hitler's mistress. Despite the fact that Eva was in love with Hitler, she and Meg had become somewhat friends in the past couple months she had been here. They weren't bosom buddies by any count, but they were kindred spirits, two women in love with their separate countries but kept on tight leashes by the men who controlled them. The idea of having to kill her too was not something Meg liked thinking about.

But whatever was done was done. If it took killing Eva to keep quiet that she had been the murderer, so be it. She cared for Eva, but not enough to risk her own life.

Taking another deep breath, Meg reached for the doorknob, turning it slightly.

"Stop!" a voice shouted and she jumped, turning around quickly.

"Oh hello," she said softly, covering her shock with innocent stupidity. She giggled coyly as she put her hand to her chest in surprise.

A German soldier was walking toward her, gun out and pointed at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked firmly, pointing from her to the door.

"Looking for the restroom," she said, hoping he understood French. "Isn't it this door?"

"No, that's the Fuhrer's room," the German said. Meg was startled to realize his tone made it clear he didn't believe her at all.

"Oh, I hope I didn't wake him!" she said in a loud whisper, trying to act embarrassed. "I thought for sure the restroom was in here. Sorry to cause you any confusion."

She turned to continue down the hall but the soldier grabbed her arm, pulling her to a rough stop.

"Come with me," he said in a no nonsense tone and Meg tensed, hoping he couldn't see her face paling.

"Will you show me where the restroom is then?" she asked as she began to follow the soldier down the hallway. Follow was a term she used loosely, since he was practically dragging her.

She chose to stay quiet as they walked past the restroom, going down two flights of stairs to the basement. She had never been down here before, and the sight of it caused her stomach to drop slightly. Where was this soldier taking her?

They stopped outside a door and the soldier knocked three times before opening it and all but shoving her inside.

"Well I never," she started to say before stopping, realizing there was a figure in front of her.

"I found her trying to get into Hitler's room just like you said," the soldier said and the man's silhouette nodded.

"Leave us," he replied and Meg jumped at the voice.

A voice she hadn't heard in two years.

"Christian?" she asked after making sure the soldier had shut the door behind him on the way out.

"Hello Meggy."

* * *

_Bum Bum BUMMMMM. What do you all think of **that**!?_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Yeah I know...and I was worried about it, but I'm glad you like it haha. I just didn't feel right trying to shove her into all the scenes etc with them, and this way seemed to flow better. I guess this is my way of trying to make it more of my story. We know what's going on with the boys, this is what I think is going on with her haha. And yay for more character development and plot points! hahaha. And yeah, I'm glad you caught that part about Christmas. Ouch for sure. Thanks for the review!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Just as I said above to IceColdInAlex, I'm really excited about kinda making this my own story in a way. As for you thinking my work is pretty amazing, aw shucks haha *blushing*. Have you gotten to check out my story over on FictionPress? Just curious, no pressure. Thanks for the review! I hope you like this chapter as well!_

_**SparkELee -** Yay you made it! haha yeah, I was weary about writing the Hitler thing, AND the Eva thing, but I felt like she'd have to interact with them in this situation, you know? I tried to convey Meg's nervousness because, let's face it, even though Hitler is like, one of the worst people ever, it would still be ridiculously intimidating to meet him haha. As for her friendship with Eva, I feel like it's kinda like women to bond together. Also, I saw this movie in school called...Downfall? I think. Anyway, Eva in that movie was super bubbly/friendly/eccentric so that's what I figured she'd be like in my story too lol. And yeah, I know Easy is sooo far away, but I promise they'll be back soon. I swear hahaha. I can't keep them away forever! And I'm glad you liked Lydia! When I first wrote "her," my roomie/editor hated her so I did a TON of tweaking and it's nice to hear she's liked lol. Thanks for your review! I'm excited to hear what you thought of this chapter!_


	30. Not Undercover

_Hey guysssss. Sooooo my new job is pretty much fun! AND it gets even better, because on Monday I get to fly across the country for a big, fancy, week-long convention where I'll get to go to dinner parties and receptions and meet lots of people! I'm super excited (except a little bummed I won't have downtime to sightsee while I'm there) but woohoo!_

_Other than that, nothing much to say haha. Except my life is like, all about Aaron Tveit right now (as mentioned last week haha) I go through obsessions, so I'm sure it'll be over soon...it's starting to drive even ME crazy!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

"Oh Christian! I can't believe it's you! We thought you were dead!" Meg cried, forgetting everything that was going on and rushing forward with the purpose of giving him a strong, loving hug. However she stopped when he stepped into the light and she took in his appearance.

Despite being 28 now, Christian's face looked much older. There was a scar along his left cheek, and mixed with the rest of his firmer features he had a cold, harsh appearance. He was also dressed in a German military uniform.

"Christian?" Meg asked, taking him all in. "Why are you in a German uniform? Are you undercover?"

But even as she asked it, she knew deep down that he couldn't be. If the IIA had found out he was alive, the first thing they would have done would have been to tell Meg and Adam. Marco knew how upset they were over the loss of their friend, so he wouldn't have kept him being alive from them.

But if he wasn't working with the IIA...

"No, I'm not undercover," he said cautiously and Meg felt her entire world crash around her.

She stood there, silent as she stared at him, the truth of what was going on taking over her.

"Since when?" she finally asked, needing to hear the answer and hoping it was a recent number.

"1941," was all Christian said, but those four numbers caused Meg's world to feel like it was crumbling even more. That was an entire year before the disastrous mission in which Christian had been killed. Or so she thought.

"So long?" she whispered, looking him over before staring straight at him. "I trusted you."

Her pathetic voice caused Christian to finally look up and lock eyes with her.

"Meggy," he begged, but she shook her head, taking a step back. She wouldn't fall for his tactics. She wouldn't let the sound of her nickname on his lips affect her.

"We all trusted you. Do you know what you put me through?"

At Christian's blank stare she turned, putting her hand up to her forehead before spinning back around.

"I blamed myself!" she cried, feeling her eyes sting with tears. "All this time, I've blamed myself for their deaths...for your death. How could you do that to us? How could you hurt them? Me?"

"Meggy," he said again, softer. She closed her eyes, imagining they were back at Base, before this had all turned so ugly.

"I loved you," she said suddenly, opening her eyes to glare at him. "You were more of a brother to me than Adam, and I would have done anything to save you."

"Why do you think you were the only one to make it out?" Christian suddenly asked, dropping his gentle tone and sounding more neutral. More like the old Christian.. "Why do you think the Germans never zeroed in on your position? Who do you think was at the command, calling the shots?"

Instead of making her feel better however, his revelation only made her more furious. He had been in command that night?

"You murdered our team! Carter, Maxwell, Sarah, Yvonne, they're all gone because of you, and all this time I thought it was because of me!"

"Come on Meggy, you honestly think that it was your fault that bomb went off?" Christian said with a laugh. "You're a bomb genius! I've never seen you mess up a single bomb in your life and those were probably the easiest you've ever made."

Meg was quiet, listening to his harsh voice and trying not to think of that night.

"Besides, that bomb going off didn't matter. They already knew we were going to be there-"

"Because of you!" Meg cried, feeling the tears sting her eyes. She had to be stronger than this. She couldn't let Christian get under her skin, especially in this situation.

He ignored her cry, continuing.

"They knew everything we had planned on doing that night; all of it."

"So how did you escape then? You were supposed to be with the rest of our team. I thought you were with them."

"We got split up," Christian said in a tone that made her realize the split up had been on purpose. "They headed where they were supposed to and I headed into the base, up to the control room where I could help take everyone out." Meg flinched at his harsh phrasing.

"All this time," she said in a shocked whisper. Then her face turned hard, her tone harsh as she spoke. "So why now? Why come and reveal yourself to me now?"

Christian's response was to hold up a piece of paper. A letter. A letter that looked awfully familiar.

"No," she whispered, realizing what it was. Christian just smirked.

"Come on Meg, you and Adam using the same code after all these years?" he asked, flipping it over to skim again. " Who's Lew by the way? He sounds pretty special from what you write about him."

"How did you get that?" Meg asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. This was between her and Christian. If Pierre, or worse Lydia, got hurt because of her, she didn't know what she would do. But even before he spoke, Meg knew what Christian was going to say.

"That little maid you had working with you. What was her name again?"

Meg realized two things. One, he wanted her to tell him, and two, he spoke in the past tense.

"Lydia, and if I found out you've done something to her-"

"Too late," Christian cut in. "She was very loyal to you, and the IIA. You should be proud of the things she said about you."

"Where is she?" Meg asked harshly, refusing to let him affect her the way he wanted to. She wasn't going to give in.

"She's been taken care of," he said casually, and Meg's stomach dropped. So that was it then; another name to add to the list of people she was responsible for killing.

"So what are you planning to do then?" Meg asked, blocking everything else out. She didn't want to think about poor Lydia right now. She'd think about her after all of this was over. Unless she met the same fate as the poor girl.

"Well I figure we'll wait until General Diederich gets here," Christian stated and Meg paled.

"You told the general about this?" she asked and Christian shrugged, leaning back against the desk.

"I sent a soldier to his room right about the time I sent that soldier to bring you in. I'm sure they'll be arriving any minute."

True to his word, a few minutes later there were three knocks on his door before it was opened and the General strode in, dressed in his military uniform and looking very confused.

"What is the meaning of this?" He cried, his facial expression telling them he was furious. "Why have you taken my companion from my room?"

"The _real_ question, General Diederich, is why have you been keeping a British spy as a companion?" By his tone, Meg could tell that Christian thought himself more important than the General. Perhaps he was; she didn't know. But knowing how ambitious and determined he was as a student, she could see him making his way up the German ranks and taking slow control.

The general frowned deeper at Christian's accusation, looking from him to Meg.

"A what?" he asked, obviously confused. "I think you are mistaken."

In response, Christian strode over and picked his gun off his desk, pointing it straight at Meg's head.

"Tell him," he said calmly, his tone frightening Meg more than if he had shouted. "Tell him in English."

"I am an agent from IIA, based in Britain," she said, speaking in English. The General's eyes widened in shock, staring at her.

"I uncovered a plot of hers," Christian explained, lowering the gun lightly. "She was on her way to kill Hitler tonight."

"What?" the General asked, his voice laced with rage as he looked between the two in shock.

"I thought I'd bring you here to ask you what we should do about it," Christian explained. The two men walked off, leaving Meg to stand alone. "Oh and don't think about running," Christian said to her as they walked away. "There's a man outside that door that will shoot you on sight."

As the two men deliberated, Meg stood there, silently panicking.

Sure she had come to accept the idea of dying to kill Hitler, but dying without actually doing it? She would be dying for nothing. Just like Lydia had died for nothing.

_No, don't think about her now._ Meg told herself. _Now you have to focus on yourself. You can focus on Lydia when you're safe from this situation._

But what about Adam? And Marco? They wouldn't be getting a letter from her, telling them of her plans. Who knew if anyone on the German side would even let IIA know she had been captured and killed. She would be another suspected casualty with an empty grave in the cemetery, everyone always wondering if maybe she was still alive somewhere.

Her thoughts turned to Lew. What would he say? What would he think when he found out she was missing? She tried not to let her tears fall, she had to stay strong. She was stronger than this and she could not give Christian and the General the satisfaction of breaking her.

Their sudden approach caused her to freeze, looking up at them in anticipation. Neither spoke as Christian pulled off his tie and bound her hands together before gagging her with a handkerchief.

"Should we cover her head?" the General asked and Christian frowned in thought.

"No, too simple," he said and he swung his arm up, his gun still in it.

The last thing Megan saw was the side of the gun flying straight for her temple.

Then the whole world went black.

* * *

Meg woke with a soft groan. Trying to reach up and rub her eyes, she frowned when she couldn't get her hands to move from behind her back.

Then it all came rushing back to her.

Christian was alive. He had found out her plot and kidnapped her.

Relief rushed over her when she realized she wasn't dead. Yet. That gave her time to figure out a plan to get herself out of here. There had to be some way to get out or send for help.

When the ground bumped she realized she was in the back of a moving truck.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you," a voice said, causing her to look to her right.

Christian was sitting there, his gun trained on her head.

"It would be a tragedy if you fell out of the truck."

"Fell, or was pushed?" Meg asked, her voice completely muffled by the gag. Christian laughed and leaned forward, pulling the cloth down. She repeated the question.

"Well that depends on you," Christian said, leaning back in his seat.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, dread filling her. The man before her was no longer the Christian she once knew. He was a monster, and who knew what he was capable of.

"Some place where you won't get into any more trouble," he told her and she sighed, scooting over to lean against the other side of the truck.

"So you're not going to kill me?" she asked and Christian shook his head.

"Not yet anyway."

"But won't people grow suspicious when you and I disappear?" she asked, hoping he hadn't thought it through and her question would evoke panic.

"And the General," he added calmly before answering her question. "Diederich left a message for Hitler telling him he and you decided to take a romantic trip to Berchtesgaden. I'm not required to stay in Berlin so my leaving won't draw too much attention. Besides, Hitler usually had me off on my own away from the group anyway."

"So where are we really going?" Meg asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Berchtesgaden," Christian replied, his tone telling her it was an obvious answer. "Actually, we should be there fairly soon. You've been out cold for most of the drive, pity you had to slip and hit your head."

Meg didn't respond, choosing to stay silent for the remainder of the trip. True to his word, it was just under an hour later when the truck came to a stop, indicating they had arrived at Berchtesgaden.

Before she had time to say anything, the gag was pulled back over her mouth and she was hoisted out of the truck, over the shoulder of Christian. There was a brief moment when she was tempted to squirm and try to free herself but, as her head dangled down behind Christian's back, she spotted the gun at his waist and decided not to.

Christian was always an excellent shot with his gun. The only way she would be able to get away from him would be if she was armed as well. And even then, luck would have to be on her side. There was no way he would miss her if he took aim.

It was pitch black out, but Meg was just able to spot the lights illuminating the windows of a large, stone building. She didn't know where they were, but she assumed it was some place important where she would be held captive until they decided what to do with her.

"The bedrooms on the third floor lock," the General said as they walked inside, Meg wishing she could see their surroundings instead of Christian's back. Christian hoisted her up on his shoulder better before heading off to a stairwell.

"Don't even think about trying to escape here Meggy," Christian told her as he climbed the stairs. "This is Hitler's Eagle's Nest. It's on the top of the highest peak for miles. Your bedroom door will be locked and all of your windows will lead to a straight drop down the mountainside. No escape there."

Once they reached a room to Christian's liking, he tossed her on the bed, reaching over to untie her hands. Then while he walked around to make sure the windows were secure, she pulled the gag away from her mouth.

"Do I get any clothes while I'm here, or do I have to stick to this nightgown and bathrobe?" she asked, somewhat harshly. Christian smirked as he headed to the door.

"Depends on how well you behave while you're here."

* * *

_Well? And before you all ask, I promise Lew will be returning next chapter! Never fear!_

_Ok serious question: I want to know how many people had a feeling that Christian was going to come back, ala Alec Trevelyan? And Holly, you don't count!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Yup! The return of Christian! Did you have any idea that might happen? I gave a couple hints throughout the story, one for sure in chapter 6 (er, technically 7 if you include the prologue haha) And thanks for your review of my FictionPress story! YAY! haha_

_**ilovemedia18 -** Thanks so much for your review! I love getting new reviewers haha. I'm also flattered that my story is what got you into Nixon haha. And you didn't see Christian coming back? Yay! I was kinda hoping it would be a big shock, but my editor/roomie expected it when she first read the story so I was worried it would be too obvious. Glad to see it's not! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint!_

_**coffee14 -** I'm glad you found it too! Thanks a bunch for your review! As I mentioned above, I love getting new reviewers! And I promise, there will be a Lew and Meg reunion soon. Thanks so much for liking my story and reviewing it! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint!_

_**G. -** I'm too lazy to go look at all the reviews you did last night hahaha. Plus, I'm sure we talked about them all anyway. First, I'm never going to publicly wish you a happy birthday if you're going to turn around and tell me all the mistakes in that chapter... hahahaha jk jk that's what I get for no longer having you read these chapters like I used to. And yes, I am the one who sings "To the left, to the left" to remember which direction to pass dishes at dinner. Don't judge me lol. And I'm thinking it's set more to the Mission Impossible song. I try to do epic missions around the house to that song but, unfortunately, my family doesn't get it like you did...damn. As for sneaking around the bunker, to me it brought back memories of sophomore year when I would forget to pay the cable bill and we would sneak out at night and hum said theme song while sneaking down to the cable office and slipping the envelope under the door. Thanks for your reviews! (As always haha)_


	31. Sulking

_Hey everybody!_

_So first, I'm am so, so sorry this wasn't posted on Thursday! I've been in San Diego all week for a business trip. I put my story on a flash drive so I could work on it at night in my hotel room...but for some reason my work laptop wouldn't register the drive so I couldn't work on it! :( I was soooo mad (but of course not really super mad because I was in San Diego and got to go out and have fun hahaha). But yeah, I got back late last night and so I worked on this chapter all morning to get it out ASAP. Sorry for the delay!_

* * *

**Chapter Thirty**

"Mail's here," a voice rose up above the group, all faces turning to the doorway where a private had just appeared, a bunch of mail in his hand.

The statement caught the attention of Adam, standing over in the corner with Lipton and Talbert. Talbert cut off the conversation mid-sentence as Adam drifted away from them, heading over to the private as if in a daze. Almost as if he wanted to reach the private, but also wanted to be as far away as possible. It was obvious he was expecting news, but wasn't expecting it to be good.

"He still hasn't heard anything?" Lipton asked and Talbert shook his head.

"Luz said it's been over a month since Meg's last letter."

"I sure hope nothing too awful happened to her," Lipton said with a sigh. "She was always a sweet girl."

They broke off as Luz himself approached them, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He had heard them though, and shook his head.

"Nothing," he told them, lighting the cigarette. "I helped sort the mail this morning and I double checked."

"Maybe she's just been busy. Or maybe mail where she is is backed up," Talbert offered but Lipton shook his head.

"Adam said the only reason her letters wouldn't get to him would be if something bad had happened. And even if that happened, he'd still hear news from the IIA."

"Well I don't know who I feel worse for," George said, taking a long puff, "Adam or Nixon."

"Nixon?" Talbert asked with confusion. Lipton just nodded, as if he was realizing what George meant and was agreeing. It seemed Talbert was the only one left out of the loop.

"Yeah. He and Meg have been sweet on each other since she joined us in Aldbourne. The fact that neither man's received a letter obviously means somethin' ain't right."

The conversation died as the Captain in question stormed by, obviously in a foul mood.

No questions from anybody as to why.

* * *

"I'm sick of this Goddamn weather," Lew announced as he stormed into Dick's office, slamming his helmet down on the desk and dropping into an empty seat.

"Hello Nix, Want to come in? By all means, have a seat," Dick said sarcastically, not looking up from his paperwork.

"I mean seriously, can't we get some nice warm weather? I'm too sick of the fucking cold."

Dick ignored his friend's rant as it continued, focusing his attention on his typing.

"Are you even listening to me?" Lew asked suddenly, causing Dick to look up with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I am," he said before looking back down. "Now why don't you tell me what's really going on."

"What makes you say something's going on?" Lew asked but his tone hinted even more that something was. Frustrated, he pulled out a cigarette and began struggling with a match.

"All I'm saying is that you're barging into my office, complaining about the weather, and we've only been in Germany for two days."

"I think I'm staying in the only dry house in Germany," Lew said, ignoring Dick's comment. Finally succeeding in lighting the match, he touched it to his cigarette before taking a long puff. "Since you don't drink, do you mind if I pop over to where you're staying tonight and pick up some things?"

"Nix," Dick said, finally turning his full attention on his friend. "You just got demoted to second Battalion S-3 for your drinking, are you sure you want to keep this up?"

"We got more mail today," Lew said, again ignoring Dick's statement.

"And?" Dick said, knowing exactly what his friend was referring to. Suddenly this whole interaction made complete sense to him. When Lew shook his head, Dick dropped his head down, resting it in his hands. "Alright, you can come over tonight and raid the liquor cabinet."

He knew he shouldn't be supporting his friend's alcoholism, but Dick felt this situation called for an exception. Lew and Meg had become more attached that Dick thought any couple was capable of being. And they had only done it in the past year. Now it was very likely that Meg was either dead or being held captive somewhere. Who was he to deny his friend at least some comfort in this whole situation?

* * *

"I think that's enough," Dick found himself saying hours later, reaching over to pry the whiskey bottle from Lew's hands.

"What if she's dead?" Lew asked suddenly, his fingers loosening to let the bottle go. "What if she's been killed over there and we'll never find out because the Germans won't admit it?"

Dick didn't know how to respond to his friend's drunken rant, instead choosing to just listen.

"Or worse what if she's being held and tortured?" he asked, his face showing slight fear. "Those Germans used to beat her when she'd go on those shorter undercover missions! Imagine what they would do to her if they found out she was a spy."

"I'm sure Meg's fine," Dick said, hoping to ease some of Lew's fears. "She probably just can't find a way to write without getting detected. I'm sure someday soon we'll be sitting here, eating our breakfast, and she'll come waltzing in to surprise everyone like she always does. It'll be like last Christmas all over again."

"Yeah," Lew said distractedly, gazing into the fire Dick had built.

A knock on the doorframe caused them both to look up and see Adam standing there, looking miserable as well.

"Szalinsky said you wanted to see me?" he asked and Dick nodded, motioning to Lew.

"I figure you two can make good company for each other," he replied, standing up and passing Adam on his way out.

With Dick gone, Adam walked over and took his chair, pouring himself a glass of the whiskey.

"So I take it we're sulking for the same reason?" Adam asked, raising his glass in Lew's direction before downing it. The Intelligence Officer merely nodded, sliding his own glass across the table so Adam could refill it.

"I would assume so, unless you're sulking for a reason other than your sister's disappearance."

"Marco doesn't think she's dead," Adam said softly, eyeing the amber liquid in his glass. "Marco thinks she's just in too deep to make outside contact."

"And does Marco have this on good authority?" Lew asked, his voice dripping venom when he spoke the name. Adam shrugged.

"Marco knows Meg better than anybody. They're too much alike. If he thinks she's still playing the job, then I guess we have to trust his judgment that she's playing the job."

"But obviously you don't agree, deep down," Lew said, nodding to Adam's glass. "If you did you wouldn't be as pissed off about all of this as you are."

"I just know Meg's never gone more than two weeks without writing to me. Ever. Even after..." he faltered and Lew looked up at him over his glass. "Did Meg ever tell you about Christian?" Adam asked, suddenly changing the direction of the conversation.

"Yeah, she did the last time we were together," Lew told him, realizing this was obviously a big thing since Adam seemed surprised.

"I don't think she's talked about it since it happened," Adam said, almost to himself. "With the exception of to the IIA doctors of course," he clarified before finishing his drink and continuing back to his previous topic. "Anyway, when Meg was on her sabbatical, she wrote to me almost every day. Her letters were short and sometimes didn't contain much more than her saying how much she missed Christian, but she told me she hated going long periods of time without writing to me. Meg's resourceful; she's the one who came up with our code. If she wanted to write to me, she'd find a way."

"Were they in love?" Lew asked, switching the topic back. It took Adam a moment to realize who he was talking about.

"Meg and Christian?" he asked before scoffing. "No. At least I don't think so. I was with them 90 percent of the time we were together and I never saw any romance between the two of them. Meg always told me she loved having two older brothers because we both treated her so differently. And I know Christian looked at Meg as a sister. Their feelings for each other never seemed to go any more than mine and Meg's for each other."

The two men fell silent, both of them thinking of their Meg. When Lew reached for the bottle again, Adam stopped him, his hand on the bottle neck.

"Because we seem to be having a heart to heart, I have to ask," Adam started, taking the bottle and filing his own glass before topping off Lew's. "What exactly were...are your intentions where my sister is concerned?"

Lew knew what he was asking. If Meg knew he was married, there was no way Adam didn't. And the fact that he hadn't worn his wedding ring since his short leave in Aldbourne meant nothing to anyone except himself. To the world he was still married to Katharine, whether he felt like it or not.

"I love her," he said plainly, deciding that was the best way to phrase it. "If I had my way, I'd marry her."

"But instead you intend to break her heart," Adam stated, causing a wave of guilt to pass over Lew. "I know my sister loves you too, and I know she'll kill me for saying this, but I can't help but feel that all you're doing right now is leading her on. What do you intend to do when the war's over?"

Lew's silence was Adam's answer. He didn't know.

He wished it were that easy; to just return home and give Katharine the boot. But he couldn't do that. Despite the unhappiness she filled him with, she deserved more than that. It wasn't entirely her fault that he had fallen out of love with her and into love with Meg.

"I love your sister, and I would never do anything that would cause her harm if I could help it," he decided to settle on.

"Cheers," Adam said and both men raised their glasses to each other before drinking on into the night.

* * *

"Two bucks," Spiers said, tossing the bills down on the table.

Spiers, Harry, Lipton and Lew were seated around a large table, enjoying a nice round of poker. Well, nice to three of them.

Lew's thoughts were elsewhere, wherever Meg was.

It had been almost two weeks since his drunken heart to heart with Adam and they still had no word. Adam had been called back to Base, apparently to discuss things with Marco. This pissed Lew off even more than it should. He knew they were back in England, discussing Meg, and he wanted to be there. It annoyed him that a group of people could have more right to talk about her than he could, but he knew it wasn't fair of him to think that. They were Meg's family.

"Nix?" Lipton asked, indicating it was his turn. Before making his play, Lew grabbed his bottle of Vat 69, eager to get another glass. When the drizzle that came out stopped, he frowned and set the bottle down.

"Nah I'm out," he said as he stood up to search for another bottle. Finding nothing in the one room, he headed to the bedroom, practically tearing apart the footlocker. When that too turned out to be void of whiskey, he practically groaned. "God damnit," he said as he stood up and grabbed his jacket.

When he walked back into the main room, Ron was going on about the war, spewing nonsense about who got what.

"Go ahead and deal me out of the next hand," Lew said, heading for the door and ignoring Ron as he called after him.

"What about your money?"

Stepping out into the night, Lew groaned again when he realized he had forgotten it was raining. Lighting a cigarette, he thought back to another time when it had been raining. A much happier time.

_ It was back in Aldbourne and, as was usually the case, it was raining. He and Meg had chosen to escape the downpour by spending a few minutes drinking tea in his office while he typed his daily reports._

_ "You know when I was little," Meg had finally spoken, breaking the silence. Wanting to catch his full attention, she waited until he looked up at her and repeated herself. "When I was little, my mother and I used to love rainstorms. We had them all the time, it was England of course, but I don't think there was a single one we didn't go outside and dance in."_

_ Obviously not believing her story, he smirked._

_ "Every one?"_

_ "It was our favorite thing to do. We would always put on our galoshes and hurry outside to jump in the puddles." She laughed, obviously thinking back to those days. "Father used to always be so mad when he'd come home to find us drenched, pools of water throughout the house." She trailed off and looked back out the window. "But it didn't matter. Every time it rained, we did it again."_

_ "Sorry, I'm interrupting your typing," she said suddenly, blushing at the fact he had caught her in such an intimate memory. He waved her off, leaning back in his desk chair._

_ "I needed the break anyway, my fingers are getting stiff," he explained and she laughed. Leaving the window, she walked over to his desk and sat against the edge of it._

_ "You were barely writing for ten minutes," she said and he shrugged._

_ "Eh, I still needed the break."_

_ "So what about you Lieutenant Nixon? Do you enjoy the English weather?"_

_ "Oh God, not more questions," he moaned, teasing her for her inquisitive behavior. "I dunno, it's alright I guess. It'd be nice if it wasn't raining all the time."_

_ "That's England for you," she sighed as she set her empty teacup down on his desk and stood up, walking back to the window. Seeing her distance herself from him, he had a sudden ache to get up and join her._

_ "Am I boring you?" he asked, head bent back over his typewriter. That was the much safer option._

_ "Not at all," she responded. "Let me know if I'm annoying you and affecting your work."_

_ "Annoying, yes. Affecting, no," he said before looking up and winking at her. He was pleased to see her blush again. He definitely had an effect on her, although possibly not as big an affect as she had on him. Seeing her face light up like that made him feel warm inside. Seeing her like this made him realize just how beautiful she really was._

_ How beautiful she would always be to him._

* * *

"Morning," Lew said the next morning, walking into the mail office. Private Vest looked up as he walked in.

"Captain Nixon, good to see you sir. I think I have some mail for you," Vest said as he walked around to the counter. "Yeah, I was gonna drop it off this afternoon with all the other sack of battalion mail but since you're here..." he trailed off as he looked at the rack of mail, reaching for a letter. When he handed it over, Lew merely tossed it aside, intent on his own mission.

"Thanks," he said quickly, moving on to the point at hand. "Listen, I'm having trouble finding some whiskey."

"Whiskey?" Vest asked, wondering what the Captain was getting at.

"Yeah, a particular brand of whiskey," Lew explained, hoping the Private would understand what he meant. He couldn't just drink any German alcohol.

"Vat 69," Vest said, nodding in realization.

"Exactly."

"I gotta be honest sir, that ain't gonna be easy to find here in Germany. Pickings are kinda slim here," Vest said apologetically and now it was Lew's turn to nod in understanding.

"Yeah don't I know it."

"And even if I do find some sir, that ain't gonna be cheap."

Lew looked at the young private, realizing the kid didn't understand how much Vat 69 meant to him.

"Well that won't be a problem," he said as shouting was heard from outside.

Suddenly Private Janovec ran in, announcing that 300,000 German forces had surrendered and they were moving out in an hour.

Realizing he had things to do if that were true, Lew stormed out of the office, almost forgetting his mail.

As he walked, he glanced down, realizing the letter was from Katharine. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he ripped it open. He hadn't gotten a letter from her in months, and he sure hadn't sent her one to respond to.

_Lewis,_

_It has recently been brought to my attention by Franny Walters that an unpleasant piece of gossip has been traveling west from England over the past few months. What may be most troubling is that it concerns you and a young British woman._

_I'd like to think that maybe that were the reason we have grown distant but I know I can't put all the blame on that situation. Nor can I be mad at the girl, since I don't know the full story so, for all I know, she may be unaware that you have a family back here._

_No, in all honesty, our lives have been growing distant ever since we married. With you away and me home here with little Charles, it's to be expected, and I think it would be for the best if we acted on this as adults._

_The truth is that I've met someone else Lew. I've been keeping it to myself, afraid of what you would say when you found out, but with this recent scandal reaching my ears I've realized I'm not the only one who's been unfaithful. Eric is a wonderful man and I know he will shower me with more love than you could. Not that I blame you or say that to be harsh, I just know it to be true. Mother and father have offered to let me move in with them for the time being but I told them that wouldn't be necessary. Eric, Charles and I are perfectly capable of living in this house, since it has been mostly my house for the last four years. Besides, I know you are completely able to find a place for yourself when you get back to the States._

_To put it plainly Lew, I want a divorce. I know it won't be possible until you're back on American soil, but Eric has proposed and I can't agree to his proposal until I am a single woman again._

_Because you have been gone so long, Charles doesn't know of you as his father. I promise you will be allowed to see him, and perhaps when he's a little older he can even come stay with you every once in a while, but I think it best if he stay with me, his mother._

_Also, Eric has taken such a liking to your dog that I feel it would be best if he stay at the house too. He probably wouldn't even remember who you were when you returned anyway. I've been feeding and walking it since you left, so it has become more my dog than yours. This way, you'll be able to buy yourself a new one when you come back._

"Jesus Christ the dog?" he asked to himself, rolling his eyes as he read the sentence.

"Lew?" Dick's voice sounded as he came up behind him.

"Kathy's divorcing me," he said to his friend as they wove through the throngs of men getting ready to roll out. Suddenly he had more pressing things to worry about than Meg's disappearance.

"I'm sorry," Dick said, his tone saying that, once again, he didn't know how to handle Lew's situation.

Lew couldn't bear to finish the letter and instead, folded it up and shoved it in his left breast pocket.

" And she's taking everything," he continued to explain why he was so upset. "She's taking the house. She's taking the kid. She's taking the dog," he listed as they walked. Dick chose to stay silent, just listening to his friend rant. "It's not even her dog," Lew said, coming to a stop by their jeep. "It's my dog," he said, his voice raising. Suddenly he ripped his helmet off his head, slamming it into the jeep. "She's taking my dog!"

Dick came to a stop next to Lipton, both men standing there, staring at the infuriated Captain. Neither knew what to say so they both looked away quietly. The shouts of "let's move out!" echoed throughout the crowd and everyone turned, their focus changing from Lew's outburst to loading into the trucks.

As the men started to sing, Lew sighed, dejectedly climbing into the back seat of the jeep he shared with Dick.

It was going to be a long drive.

* * *

_Thanks so much for the reviews guys! Let me know what you thought about this all being in Lew's POV. Yay or nay?_

_**coffee14 -** Thanks for your review! As for all your speculations...you'll just have to see! I'm not giving anything away haha, but I like that you're thinking about all these different possibilities!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Haha yeah! I really wanted people to be shocked by this revelation, so I'm glad it worked well! Don't you just want to kill Christian now? And if any of the boys were going to beat him up, Joe Toye and his brass knuckles would be the best bet right!? He'd scare the shit out of anybody haha. And in regards to your recent review of my Fictionpress story: YES, I have seen it. And if you've seen in my author's notes like, the past 3 weeks hahaha, all I've gushed about is how much I love Aaron. In fact, confession: I made a Tumblr account just so I could follow a bunch of Aaron people and get a daily dose of his amazingness lol. Thanks for all your reviews!_

_**IceColdInAlex -** No! You're not stupid! Haha that's actually EXACTLY how I wanted people to feel when they read it. I wanted it to be such a shocker plot twist that no one saw it coming, so I'm glad it totally caught you off guard. I was worried it might be obvious, so thank goodness it wasn't! Thanks for your review!_

_**ilovemedia18 -** Thanks for your review! I like your ideas, but you'll just have to wait and see if you're right! I will say that it was really exciting to write what happens next, so I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations!_


	32. I'm Sorry Meggy

_In honor of Valentine's Day (but mostly because last week's chapter was posted two days late) here is today's chapter a few hours early! Yay!_

_Also...this got posted early because I've run out of things to do at work and I still have another 30 minutes hahaha._

_Y'all better hold onto your seats...it's about to be a bumpy ride!_

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Meg was going crazy.

That was the only explanation she could give for her current state of mind.

She had been locked in this bedroom for over a month, only being allowed out three times a day to use the restroom. Other than that, she stayed seated on the bed, waiting for the end to come. Because it was inevitable, and she knew it. The end would come, and she wanted to be ready for it.

Christian came to see her. Not every day, but sometimes he would be the one to bring one of her three daily meals. She called them meals, but in reality they were more like scraps and leftovers that weren't fit for a dog. Christian would stand there silently and watch her eat, seemingly pleased with seeing her pain. Sometimes he would ask about Adam or the IIA, but Meg never gave him the satisfaction of an answer, thus the reason for the bruises across her face. Christian had taken to slapping her when he wasn't pleased with an answer.

Meg hated it. She hated being treated this way by someone she had once considered a brother. She told herself over and over that it wasn't the same Christian. She needed to separate this Christian from the memory of her old Christian. She knew that if she could do that, it wouldn't hurt as much...but she couldn't do it. Every time she saw his face, she couldn't help but think back to those days.

Her nightmares returned. They were worse, and sometimes she woke herself screaming and crying. No one came to comfort her, and make sure that she was alright, and she would often curl up in a ball and sob. She had thought she knew torture, but up until then, she had never truly experienced it. Every day that Christian appeared in her room, she silently prayed that he was there to kill her. She wanted it to be over.

She hated when Christian hit her, but his wounds were nothing compared to what the General did to her. Despite now knowing that she was an enemy, the General couldn't seem to put his feelings for her aside. Instead he still came to her almost every night, only now treating her much worse. With no one to see her except Christian, himself, and the occasional servant who brought her her food, there was no reason to limit the number of injuries he inflicted on her.

Bruises and cuts covered almost every inch of her body, making it impossible for her to move. Each morning an old German woman would come to her room, using hot water to soak down the bruises. When Meg had asked why on the first day, the woman had simply replied that Christian had told her not to speak to Meg. That was the only answer Meg needed; Christian must still care for her a small amount if he sent someone daily to tend her wounds.

Still, it didn't lessen the hatred she felt for him. Her entire relationship with him had been a lie, even before he joined the Germans in 1941. If she couldn't trust him about anything since then, she obviously couldn't trust him about anything before then either.

That was the worst torture; the mental torture she inflicted on herself daily. As she sat there, she would think of every interaction she had with Christian over their years together. Had his friendship with her brother been true? Had he cheated on his IIA tests? Had he lied about how pretty the color blue made her? She analyzed every single thing she could, tearing apart their relationship and slowly driving herself insane.

Meg lost track of time, barely keeping track of each sunrise and sunset. When she had first arrived, she had found a pencil and had marked on the wall each day, but that had been abandoned early on. There were only nine tallies on the wall, and she knew it had been much longer.

She wondered what Adam and Marco thought. Certainly they knew something was wrong; she had been out of contact for weeks. Had they sent someone to look for her? Had they done anything to attempt a rescue? She doubted it, because she knew the risk that all would take. She didn't blame them of course. That was her life and she knew they couldn't bend rules or risk their lives to attempt a rescue. Still, a small part of her hoped that maybe Adam had broken down and was sneaking around Germany looking for her.

Of course, a large part of her days were spent thinking of Lew. She wished she had his letters, a photograph, anything to remind her of him. She didn't even have the dartboard necklace anymore. That had been left at Lynette's until her return from duty, and now she didn't know if she would ever see it again. Suddenly she wished she was less of an agent and had slipping something in against the rules. All she had left of Lew were her memories, which were on repeat in her mind.

Between thinking of Lew and Christian, she was slowly going crazy. Very crazy.

* * *

One day, after she had been there for a long time, she heard loud cries coming from her window. Frowning, she hobbled over to it, ignoring the pain screaming through her body. The General had been worse than usual and her legs were sore because of it.

Opening the window, she looked down the cliff, just barely making out the small crowd of people forming in the city below. Flags were waving and many car engines were running. She could hear frantic shouting, but she was too far away to make out what was being said.

The knock on her door signaled to her that the German woman was there.

"What's happening?" Meg asked as the woman walked in, a sad look on her face. She shook her head, motioning for Meg to remove her tattered remains of a nightgown. She had never been given clean clothes and had been wearing the same nightgown since her arrival. "Please," Meg pleaded kindly, "tell me what's happened. Why are those people crying?"

"The Fuhrer is dead," the woman said and Meg felt her heart stop.

Hitler was dead? Was the war over?

"Dead?" she asked, shocked at the sudden news. "When? How?"

"Too many questions," the woman said, going mute again as she began to tend to Meg's wounds.

As she sat there, being scrubbed and cleaned up, she wondered what this news would mean for her. Would it mean she would make it out alive? Or would she be killed in an angry rage by one of her captors?

When Christian brought her lunch up a few hours later, Meg asked him the same questions she had asked the old woman.

"He killed himself," Christian said plainly, setting the tray of food down. "Looks like your goal happened after all. Too bad you won't get the credit for it," he scoffed but she ignored his jab.

"Is the war over?" Meg asked, hardly believing her wish could come true.

"Don't underestimate the power of the Germans," Christian said, his voice dropping to a very threatening tone. It startled Meg, and she grew silent.

Neither spoke again, Christian turning on his heel and storming out of the room. Although his reaction frightened Meg, it also made her pleased as well. Christian was worried. That meant the German army was slowly, but surely, falling.

* * *

Her thoughts were proven true just a few nights later. As Meg lay on her bed, mentally preparing herself for the General's nightly arrival, she jumped when she heard a loud, crashing noise. It sounded almost like a building collapsing. Hurrying to the window, she could barely make out a cloud of smoke in the night sky.

"What was that noise?" she asked the General an hour later, as he scrambled out of his clothes. There was no more foreplay in their relationship. It had been weeks now; the General took what he wanted, how he wanted it.

"The people in town are blocking off the road to prevent the Allie army from getting into the city," he told her before silencing all talk with a searing kiss. Meg had learned that resisting was futile; he only beat her harder if she tried to get away from him. Instead, she closed her eyes and imagined it was Lew. She always imagined he was Lew.

She missed him so much. She missed his witty remarks, the way his eyes deepened when he looked at her, the feel of his fingers as they trailed his skin...she could go on. Each night, as the General took her in every way possible, Meg wished it was Lew. She prayed with every piece of her that one day they would be together again, but she knew it was useless.

She would be killed before she would be given the chance to leave this place.

* * *

Not two days later, another loud noise reached her ears. This was a sound she recognized. The sound of explosives.

Hurrying as fast as she could, she went to her window, hoping to catch a glimpse of what had caused the noise. She was disappointed when she saw nothing out of the ordinary. But she knew she had heard it, there was no mistaking that sound.

Her door suddenly flew open, causing her to jump and spin around.

Christian stood there, his eyes half-crazed as he locked eyes with her. His hair was a mess, obviously he had run his fingers through it a few times, causing it to stick up straight.

"Christian?" she asked cautiously, wondering why he looked as mad as he did.

"The Allies are here," he said as he took a step forward, reaching for the gun at his hip. "I'm sorry Meggy, but we can't have them finding you here."

Meg realized what was going to happen a second before it did. As Christian's hand flew up, the gun firmly in it, she ducked, closing her eyes as the bullet whizzed past her head. Crawling under the bed, she heard Christian curse as he dropped to his knees to find her.

Another bullet zipped past her, hitting the wall just behind her bed. Knowing he had six rounds left, she scurried out from under the bed, ducking behind it as he shot again.

This time she wasn't so lucky.

The bullet grazed her arm, causing her to cry out involuntarily as it seared her skin. She heard Christian laugh; a terrifying, crazed laugh at the fact that she had been hit.

"Five," she whispered to herself, not wanting to forget the number he was on. She wouldn't focus on the fact that Christian was trying to kill her; she would focus on how many bullets were left.

"Come on Meggy, don't make this so hard," Christian said as he walked around the corner of the bed.

Meg coiled up, knowing she only had one chance. When he came around the corner she leapt, hitting him full on and making them both fall to the floor. The gun slid out of Christian's hand and Meg used this to her advantage, clambering up and rushing out into the hallway. Her whole body was screaming in pain but she ignored it, knowing her life was at stake.

Just as she was about to round the corner of the doorway, another shot rang out and she immediately felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder. Crying out again, she knew she had been hit again, but much worse. She had felt this hot, sharp pain before.

"Four," she said to herself, otherwise ignoring the pain. She continued down the hallway, ducking into a side room that was open. As she leaned up against the wall next to the open door, she heard Christian hurry by, slowing down as he realized he had lost her.

Saying a quick prayer, she jumped into the hallway, landing on top of his back. Christian shouted, reaching back to try and grab her with his left hand, his right still holding the gun. Meg used her fingers to scratch at his face, using all the techniques she had been taught to use as a last resort of desperation. Christian cried out in pain as she dragged her fingernails along his face, leaving deep, red gashes with her fingernails.

"Goddamnit Meggy!" he cried as he twisted sideways, causing her to roll to his right. She clutched his arm at the last second, pulling his hand with the gun toward her. In the confusion it went off, sending a bullet up to the ceiling. Both of them ducked out of reflex, Meg accidentally letting go of his arm.

Realizing her mistake, she rushed to him again, wrestling him to the ground. He grabbed for her, twisting her arm until they both heard a pop. She cried out, feeling the pain course through her. Using her new injury to his advantage, Christian pointed the gun at her, sweat dripping down his face.

"I'm sorry Meggy," he said as the gun angled at her head. Using all her strength, Meg grabbed his right wrist, twisting it around.

"So am I," she said firmly before the gun went off.

Blood splattered across her nightgown, adding to all the other stains and rips it had accumulated.

Christian's body slumped to the ground, dropping on top of Meg. She gave a small cry as the realization of what she had done hit her.

She had killed Christian.

Pushing with her one good arm, she was soon out from underneath him. Wiping the blood on her hands, she chanced a look at her old best friend.

Blood dripped from the holes in his head. From the looks of it, the bullet had gone clean through his jaw and out the top of his head. At least his death had been quick, Meg thought as she tried to hold back her tears. Despite the fact that he was no longer her best friend and despite the fact that he had been trying to kill her himself, she still felt a great sadness at seeing his limp form. It was almost symbolic to the death of the Christian she had long ago lost.

Dropping to the floor, she leaned against the wall, letting the tears crash over as she stared at the dead body.

Eventually, she realized she couldn't sit there any longer. Someone was bound to come across the scene and then she would be dead for sure. She was lucky no one had come already. Slowly using the wall to ease herself up with her one good arm, she stepped over Christian's form and picked up the gun, opening it to confirm there really were two bullets left. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she reached forward, digging through his pockets. Her search turned successful as she pulled out three more bullets, quickly sliding them into the compartments.

Silently making her way down the hall, she tried to stick to the shadows as much as possible, hoping no one would come along. Looking back, she sighed when she realized her bullet wound was dripping, leaving a small blood trail along the floor.

Just as she reached the bottom step of the first floor, a scream echoed through the house from above.

"Damn," Meg said under her breath as she tried to quicken her pace. Hearing footsteps running toward her, she ducked into another room, hoping no one would see her. Looking around, she quickly realized she was trapped; the only way out was through the doorway she had come through.

Backing up to stand behind the sofa, she aimed the gun at the doorway, anticipating the arrival of someone once they realized there was a blood trail to follow.

She heard them before she saw them. Two sets of footprints, quickly walking in her direction.

Hoping she had the height right, she paused, her hand on the trigger. As soon as a figure appeared in the doorway she shot, not even looking at where the bullet had hit. The man went down, making the man behind him completely visible. Meg shot again, giving the man not enough time to lift his gun up.

Meg thanked God. Those two kills had been completely painless and effortless. Knowing anyone else would now definitely be alerted to her presence, she rushed to the doorway, carefully leaping over the two bodies.

She had three bullets left.

"Where is she?" she heard a familiar voice shout. Not wanting to get caught, she ran across the hallway and leaned up against a tall bookcase, hidden from view of the stairs.

"I do not know sir!" the voice of the German woman replied. "I heard the shots so I came as fast as I could. When I got here he was already dead. The guards followed her and two more shots just sounded. I do not know who fired them sir."

Meg heard the General groan loudly before his footsteps stomped down the stairs. This would be her only chance to kill him.

Ducking into the shadows, she watched as he walked into the room, pausing in the doorway at the sight of the two bodies. Meg aimed for his head, steadying the gun.

Just as she pulled the trigger, the General bent down in the act of checking the two bodies. The bullet shot over his head to embed in the doorframe. The General shot up, spinning around to face her.

"Bitch!" he shouted in German, rushing toward her. Meg lifted the gun again, taking aim and shooting once more. When the trigger didn't go down all the way she swore, realizing it had jammed.

The General's hand came up to strike her across the face roughly, sending her flying into the wall. She cried out in pain as the back of her head hit the corner of the wall. As the General reached for his gun, she knew she'd have to check her head wound later. Now she didn't have time.

Scrambling to her feet once more, she reached for her gun, hoping this time it would work. No such luck.

The weapon jammed again and she threw it aside in frustration, realizing she would have to get the General's gun if she wanted to kill him.

Ducking a bullet he sent at her head, she rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around his torso and shoving him to the ground. The gun went spinning away from them, leaving them both weaponless. Feeling like deja vu of what had happened between her and Christian earlier, she hoped this time worked as well in her favor.

Sitting up so she was straddling the General, Meg swung her arm back, landing a punch to his jaw. The General's eyes spun but he was quick to react, reaching both hands up to wrap around her neck. As Meg began gagging, she put her good hand down, her thumb finding his left eye. Her intent was to jam her finger in his eye socket as hard as she could, but as soon as her thumb started to touch it he flinched, releasing her neck to pull her hand away.

With a twist of his hand, she heard a snap, and she cried out again. He had broken her wrist.

Knowing it was now or never, she crawled over his form, kicking at his face when he reached up for her ankle. He tried again, grabbing it and pulling her toward him. She kicked out with her other foot, stretching her right arm out and ignoring the pain. Her fingers grazed against the gun and she closed her eyes, stretching herself just a little further.

Her eyes shot open when she felt the cool steel within her grasp. Twisting her body around quickly, she didn't even take aim, simply pulling the trigger once, twice, three times.

As the smoke cleared, she looked down, realizing the grip on her angle had gone lax.

Dragging her body over to the wall, she used it as leverage to lift herself up. Then she turned, taking aim and shooting the general's body twice more, just for good measure.

As what had just happened hit her, she stifled another sob, dropping the gun and lifting her right arm to put her hand over her mouth.

It was over. After all those days, weeks, months, years of being a slave of the General, it was over. Never again would she have to deal with him. She would never get a letter requesting her presence. She would never have to play the role of Vivian.

It was over.

Hearing shouting outside, she turned, slowly dragging herself to the front door to see what the commotion was. It took her longer than normal, mostly because of how weak she felt. Twice she stumbled, but she caught herself and continued, hoping she wouldn't be met by Germans on the other side of the doors.

Stepping out into the sunlight, she winced, closing her eyes for a second. When she opened them, she almost smiled at the sight of the five men in front of her. She could just barely make out Malarkey and Spiers, the other three were blurs.

"About damn time you boys showed up," she said before everything went black.

* * *

_Yay reunited! Well...kinda..._

_**LovingBOBThePacific** - I feel like I'm going to get so confused when I post a chapter for both my stories so close together. I'm going to want to overlap my responses hahahaha, but I shall refrain. As for Christian as Aaron, I can see it...but I picture Christian as more of Sebastian Stan. And I know Joe didn't kill Christian, but wasn't Meg so much better at it? She's so badass hahahaha. I'm glad you liked it in Lew's POV. I was worried people might freak at the change, because it is randomly out of nowhere. But it totally brought new atmosphere and I felt like it was needed. She wasn't getting letters etc, so it's not like we had a recent update on what was going on. And it would be SO awesome if Aaron came to your birthday lol. As soon as I find out he's back in NYC (he's currently in Florida ugh) I am off to see him haha. I can't wait for the day his manager makes the announcement! I wrote him an autograph request a couple weeks ago...so here's hoping I get a response! Thanks for your review!_

_**IceColdInAlex** - Thanks for reviewing! I hadn't really thought of this chapter as heartbreaking, but I guess that's because I felt disenganged from it since it wasn't Meg's POV. I'm glad you thought it was though, because it means I wrote the characters well hahaha. Yeah, I felt like his freakout in Part 9 was great...but I felt like adding the Meg thing to the whole mix would make it more powerful. Like, he's already on edge because she's missing, then he loses everything else he has so he doesn't even have that to fall back on if Meg is killed, you know? All of a sudden he truly is alone. As for explosive, was that explosive enough?_

_**ilovemedia18** - Thanks for your review! I feel bad for Nix too haha, so I'm happy to tell you that his saddness will be coming to an end shortly. He's had enough troubles these past few weeks!_


	33. I'm Not Leaving

_YAY for new a chapter!_

_However, before we get to it, I want to take a moment for something important to me._

_Next Wednesday (February 27) is the one year anniversary of a shooting that happened at my town's high school. Three students were killed and three more were injured...but more than that, every single kid in that school (my sister and my "fake" sister included) was affected. the town I live in only has 5,000 people, so everyone knew one of the kids who was killed, injured, or even the shooter._

_This past year has been incredibly difficult, but at the same time it has probably been one of the most powerful years of my life. If you want to get a better picture of why I say that, you can watch this video that aired on CBS during the Final Four college basketball tournament last year. It's narrated by Jesse Eisenberg and, unfortunately, I was only able to find this crappy quality one. (Ok so this site won't let me post ANY form of the link, so if you go to your browser and type in the URL for Youtube, add this after com: /watch?v=FpFGvWQgkns OR just search 'A Tribute To Chardon High School on The Final Four' on Youtube and it'll be the first video. Sorry for all the hassle!)_

_Anyway, I have a favor to ask all of you. In fact, I'm asking for this instead of reviews this week (although I'll always appreciate both!). On Wednesday, if you could take a moment and just pray/think/whatever about all the students/family/friends who have been affected by this tragedy. The anniversary is going to stir up a lot of memories that everyone has tried to forget, and it would be so nice to know that people outside the community are thinking about all of us as we deal with these memories._

_Okay, enough personal stuff. On with the chapter!_

* * *

The first thing Meg sensed was sound. Noises filled her ears: the sound of leaves rustling, birds chirping, and the hushed whisper of masculine voices. She tried to speak, but her throat felt dry and she couldn't seem to open her eyes.

When they finally opened, it took her a moment to realize it. The room she was in was dark. Glancing to her left, she saw that it was dark outside the window as well. Settling back into her pillow, she closed her eyes.

For now at least, she was safe.

* * *

"I don't care if she's not awake, I want to see her," a familiar voice shouted hours later. Opening her eyes a bit, she blinked against the light of day. "Meggy," a voice said and she panicked, thinking it was Christian back for her.

_He's dead_, she reminded herself, allowing her eyes to come into focus.

Adam stood there, a large grin plastered across his face. Seeing her awake, he hurried forward, reaching for her hand.

"Meggy," he said again, seemingly oblivious to how much that name hurt her. "They said you weren't awake."

"I guess I have some shit doctors then," she said weakly, her voice rough with lack of use. Adam reach over, picking a small glass of water off the table. Lifting it carefully to her lips, he helped her take a drink, smiling when she sighed in relief. "How long have I been out?"

"Two days," Adam said gently, reaching up to brush the hair from her forehead. "We thought you were dead," he added softly and Meg could hear the fear in his voice.

"I thought I was," she replied, knowing just how much her brother must have worried about her. "Adam, what do I have?"

The question may have seemed strange, but Adam knew exactly what she was asking.

" A dislocated shoulder, a gunshot wound to the same shoulder, a broken wrist, a sprained ankle, and more bruises and cuts than I'd care to count. Meg," he said softly in an almost pleading tone, "what happened to you?"

"Not yet," she said softly, feeling the tears well up inside of her again. "Soon, but not yet." She didn't think she'd even be able to talk about it. She needed more time before it was no longer fresh in her memory.

Adam nodded, reaching out to pat her hand lightly.

"There's someone who's been wanting to see you," he said and from the look on his face she knew exactly who it was. "Should I send him in or should I tell him you need more time?"

"You can send him in," Meg said, already feeling excitement bubbling up inside her at the thought of seeing Lew again. "But first, does my hair look alright?"

In answer to her question, Adam merely laughed, rising from his seat and walking out the door.

While she waited for the return of anyone, she looked around, taking in her surroundings.

The room she was in was very obviously not a regulation hospital room. In fact, it looked almost like a hotel room. A glance at the dresser, desk and bed confirmed her suspicions.

Where was she?

The sound of hurried boots caused her to look up just as Lew appeared in the doorway. She couldn't help the large smile that covered her face as he rushed over, coming to a sudden stop when he realized he'd hurt her just by touching her.

"Lew," she said softly, feeling more tears come to her eyes, this time from joy. She wanted him to touch her; to take her in his arms and tell her that she would always be safe. That he had missed her, and he'd never let her out of his sight. She wanted to hear him say that nothing bad would ever happen to her again.

Lew sat down at the seat Adam had vacated, reaching over to take her hand in his.

"Meg," he said, his face showing a mixture of pain and love, if that was even possible. "I was so worried. First when Adam hadn't heard from you in months, then seeing Malarkey carry you dow-" be broke off, pausing before continuing. "I thought you were dead. You looked awful,"

"Thanks Lew," she said, rolling her eyes. Despite his previous tone, he managed a small smile. "What happened after they found me?"

"You fainted. Spiers, Malarkey, Grant, More, and Popeye were the only ones up there when you came out. Malarkey carried you down the road until he met up with the trucks. The men got off of one and loaded you onto it and Doc and I rode back down with you. You've been out for two days."

"I know, Adam told me."

"Meg," Lew started but Meg shook her head, cutting him off.

"I'm not ready yet," she said and he nodded, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"I love you," He said instead and she smiled, feeling her face blush.

A noise caused them both to look up as Doc Roe walked in.

"Miss Myeroff, I see you're awake," he said as he walked over and began looking her over. "Any pain? Need any morphine?"

"What would I need morphine for Doc? All my limbs are still attached," she joked and Lew shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"You were shot," Doc said, seeming confused by her carefree attitude.

"Not the first time," she said before turning serious. "So when do you think I'll be getting out of here Doc?" she asked, hoping his answer wasn't too long.

"Well, as soon as things here get a little more situated we plan to scrounge up a truck to transport you back-"

"No," Meg said, cutting him off. Both Doc and Lew looked at her with frowns on their faces. "I'm not leaving. I've been away from my brother and from Easy Company for far too long. I'm not going to leave them again." _I'm not going to leave Lew again._

"But Meg," Lew started but she shook her head.

"Don't fight me on this. Neither of you have authority over me."

"But I do," a new voice said and Lew jumped to his feet as a tall, older man walked in.

"Marco?" Meg asked, blinking in shock at the sight of him. Behind him, Adam peaked around, shrugging as if to apologize. "When did you get here?"

"Adam sent for me as soon as you were found," the older man replied, coming to stand at the foot of her bed. "We've been worried sick over you."

"I'm sorry sir," she said, dropping her head.

"Don't be sorry, and don't be foolish. Meg you can't stay here. We have a full facility back at Base where we can treat you. You'll be back to normal in no time."

"But I don't want to go back to Base. I want to stay here with the men," she said, her voice taking a pleading tone. _I want to stay with Lew._ "I want to see all this through to the end, and that means staying with Easy Company."

"Megan," Marco warned but she ignored it. She had another trick up her sleeve.

"Daddy please," she said softly, her eyes filling with tears.

At the revelation that Marco and her father were one in the same, Lew frowned, looking from all three Myeroffs in shock. As they all stood there, Doc backed up slowly, dismissing himself without a word, leaving the four others to stare at each other.

"Alright," Marco finally said, releasing a loud breath of frustration. "But on one condition."

"Anything," Meg said, her tears suspiciously vanishing in a hurry.

"Don't be stupid. Take things easy here and listen to everything the medics have to say. Don't go running around playing the hero again."

"Yes Daddy," Meg said, using the word again because she knew it affected him so much.

That conversation done, Marco turned to Lew, sizing him up.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked and Meg sighed at his all-business tone.

"Captain Lewis Nixon sir," Lew said, saluting the man before sticking out his hand for a handshake. Meg tried not to giggle at how nervous Lew seemed. Marco eyed him with a raised eyebrow before sticking out his own hand, shaking the hand of the nervous Captain.

"Nice to meet you son," Marco said before dropping his hand and turning to Adam. "A word?" he asked but it came out more as an order. Adam nodded and both men disappeared again.

"You didn't tell me Marco was your father," Lew accused as soon as they were alone.

"You never asked," Meg said with a shrug, wincing as pain shot up her shoulder. "Besides, I haven't called him Daddy in years. Probably not since I joined the IIAA back in '26. I knew using it now would sway him."

"You wicked girl," Lew said with a smirk leaning over.

"Lew," Meg started, her tone hinting at a question. "I don't think my lips are as damaged as the rest of my body. Do you think perhaps...?"

She trailed off but he knew exactly what she was asking. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against hers, reveling in the feel of them after so long.

* * *

The next day, shouting caused Meg to wake from her restless sleep. Pulling herself up to sit, she called out, frowning when no one appeared.

Cynically commenting to herself that she couldn't count on anybody, she climbed from her bed, slowly steadying herself on her feet. Ignoring the fact that she was wearing only a nightgown (although not the same one she had been wearing for the past couple months she noticed) she carefully walked out into the hallway, taking small baby steps down the corridor.

Her right arm was in a sling, her left wrist in a cast. Because of this, she was nervous that her unsteadiness would cause her to fall with no support. To fix this, she leaned her body against the wall, dragging herself against it as she used it for support.

Hearing laughter to her left, she carefully walked over and out onto a gorgeous stone balcony.

At her arrival, Harry, Lipton and Spiers all quieted, looking at her in shock. Suddenly feeling self conscious, she wondered what exactly she looked like. The nightgown probably didn't help.

"What is it? What's everyone so happy about?" she asked, quickly noticing that both Harry and Ron had a bottle of alcohol at their feet, drunken smirks returning to their faces.

"Germany surrendered," Lipton told her, obviously the most sober of the group.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Harry asked, his words slightly slurring together as he made his way over to her.

"I'm alright," she said, brushing him off. "Besides, I can't stay in bed forever can I?"

Looking around, her eyes fell on Ron, taking in his slightly distressed face that even his drunken smirk couldn't hide. She was confused at first until it hit her. He had been the first one to see her in her broken state. That image of her, bleeding profusely as she crumpled to the ground, would probably stay with him for a long time.

His face softened when he saw her staring and he stood up, walking over.

"Come on, let's get you back to your room," he said as he bent over, picking her up in a basket hold gently.

"Captain Spiers, you're drunk," she said but he ignored her, carrying her down the hallway. "Where's Captain Nixon?" she asked, remembering at the last second to use his official title.

"You just missed him. Dick wanted to show him something so they both left about five minutes before you showed up."

Meg groaned.

"Of course they did," she said, mostly to herself.

"What's going on?" Adam asked, appearing to their right. Spiers turned, giving Meg a better view of her brother.

"Caught this one out of bed," Ron said and Adam eyed him, obviously able to tell he was drunk.

"Alright, I've got it from here," he said, walking over and lifting Meg from Ron's arms.

As the brother and sister headed back to Meg's room, she rested her cheek against his shoulder, looking up at him.

"I'm able to walk you know," she said and he frowned, not looking down at her.

"Not yet you aren't. Doc Roe said you need to spend a few more days in bed."

"Well I don't agree, and I think I know my body much better than Doc Roe does...or at least I hope so," she added and this time Adam looked down at her with a frown.

Arriving back in her room, Adam settled her onto the bed, pulling the sheets up over her. Instead of leaving as she thought he would, he sat down in the empty chair, scooting it closer to her.

"Germany surrendered," she told him and he nodded, reaching over to take her left hand, careful of her wrist bandage.

"I know. I was with Dick when he got the note," he said and she nodded, leaning back against her pillows and looking up at the ceiling. "Will you tell me now?" he asked and she sighed, not looking away from the ceiling.

"Not yet," she said softly before changing the subject. "You know what I would like? To see some of the men of Easy. I'd like for some of them to visit."

"Just tell me who and I'll make sure they're all here," he said and now she did turn to look at him.

"Lew," she started and he rolled his eyes, telling her that was an obvious one. "Dick," she continued, smirking at him. "George Luz, Bill Guarnere..."

Adam's face cut her off and she understood why there was sadness in his eyes.

"Adam, who did Easy Company lose since I've been gone?" she asked, hoping the news wouldn't unsettle her too much.

"We didn't want to say anything until you were-"

"Adam," she said harshly, cutting him off. Her tone softened, "please."

"Muck and Penkala are dead," he said, causing her to frown. She hadn't known Penkala well but Muck was always nice to her. "Guarnere, Joe Toye, and Buck Compton got sent home. Joe lost his leg and Bill almost did too."

"But they're both alive?" Meg asked, feeling a smile come to her face. Their wounds would be serious but at least they were still alive.

"Yeah they're alive. They were the lucky ones; they didn't have to deal with all of Bastogne like everyone else did."

"Was it that bad?" Meg asked in a hushed whisper and Adam nodded.

"You have no idea," he told her before they both grew quiet. Adam didn't offer any more and Meg didn't want to ask. She didn't think she wanted to know.

"Lew hasn't come to see me yet today," she said casually after a few minutes had gone by. Adam looked up at her with disbelief on his face.

"Are you shitting me?" he asked with a chuckle. "That man has barely left your bedside since we brought you here. Doc and I had to practically kick him outta here so he did his paperwork and didn't get in trouble with Colonel Sink. I'm pretty sure he slept in this chair last night as a matter of fact."

Meg frowned, her nose scrunching up.

"If I had any doubts before, I sure as hell don't know," Adam said as he stood up. "That man's crazy about you."

Meg blushed, looking down at her lap.

"We're moving out for Austria in the morning," Adam said, changing the subject. "We figure we'll toss a couple mattresses in the back of a jeep and have you ride there, since you're so keen to stay with us," he added in teasing, reaching down to ruffle her hair before turning and heading out the door.

* * *

The next morning Meg was woken to the sounds of people packing up. Opening her eyes, she smiled when she saw Lew hovering over her.

"Good morning," she said with a smile. He returned it with a grimace, causing her to frown. "What's wrong?"

"Someone had a little too much to drink last night," Adam informed her, walking into her line of sight and pushing Lew out of the way. "Now come on, everyone's waiting on you."

"Not quite yet," Marco's voice said from the door, halting them. Before he said anything else, Meg knew why he was there. She couldn't avoid it forever, but she still wasn't ready.

"Please Marco," she tried to beg but he shook his head, at least being kind enough to put on a sympathetic face.

"I need to hear it Meg. I have to go back and write it all up and I need to know what happened."

Sighing, Meg looked from Marco to Adam to Lew.

"Fine, but they both stay," she said, hoping her voice sounded final. Marco mulled it over for a minute before giving in and nodding.

"Alright," he conceded and all three men pulled up chairs. Not caring what Marco thought, Meg quickly reached out and grabbed Lew's hand, pulling it to her. He looked up and smiled, tossing her a wink, and she blushed. At least his presence would make it somewhat better.

Taking in a deep breath, she squeezed Lew's hand once before starting.

"When Easy Company was heading to Bastogne, I was sent to Berlin. General Deidrich had summoned me to stay with him in Hitler's compound there." She knew Marco and Adam knew this, but she wanted Lew to know what her orders had been. He probably didn't know who General Deidrich was, but it would set the stage for the rest of her story. "I spent two months with the German higher ups, sharing their wine, laughing at their jokes, and reading the books in their libraries. On Feb 17th I realized things weren't moving fast enough for me and I decided to take matters into my own hands."

She turned to Adam then, directing her next statement to him.

"I wrote a letter to you but it was intercepted. The letter told you what I was planning to do and apologized to you if I-" she broke off, not being able to speak the word. "I was going to kill Hitler."

By the sight of Lew's raised eyebrows, she knew this wasn't expected. At least by him. Glancing at Adam and Marco, she could tell they thought something like this could happen. She was Megan Myeroff after all, and they both knew better than anyone else what she was capable of. Hell, Marco had probably half expected it when he okayed this mission in the first place.

"I went to his room that night with every intention of shooting him in his sleep. But my letter to you had been decoded and a soldier was waiting for me."

"So they finally discovered our code then?" Adam asked, a sad smirk on his features. Meg shook her head.

"They knew it all along. Their decoder was Christian."

There was a beat of silence as she stared at her brother, wishing he could feel how sorry she was. Lew's hand tightened around hers and she felt the tears fill her eyes. She had hoped she wouldn't cry, but seeing the three men she loved more than anything look at her with such shock hit her hard.

"But that can't be true," Adam said, standing up slowly. "Christian died two years ago. We both were there."

"Christian joined with the German's in '41, he told me himself. He's the one who revealed our plans and compromised that mission. He killed our team."

At this revelation, Adam sunk back into his chair, rubbing his hand over his face. Before anything else could be said, he stood back up from the chair and strode out of the room. Meg watched him go, hurt.

"Don't worry about him," Marco said, taking Adam's place closer to her. "He was close with Christian too." He let her compose herself before motioning for her to continue.

"Christian and Deidrich kidnapped me, taking me to Birtschesgarden and locking me in a room. I was there for two months, seeing nothing and no one except for them. I was beaten, I was raped, and I was half starved.

"When word reached us that Hitler was dead, they panicked. When you lot arrived, I had no idea what was going on. Christian came to my room to shoot me. We fought and before I killed him he shot me twice and broke my arm. In my escape, I killed two other Germans before Deidrich found me. We fought as well, which is how I broke my wrist. In the struggle he dropped his gun and I-I shot him. Then I rushed outside and was met by you."

"Meg," Lew said, standing from his chair to pull her into a soft hug. "I'm so, so sorry."

As the relief of having the story out there flooded over her, she burst into tears, lifting her one good arm up to cover her face.

"Captain," Marco said in a low tone. As Lew stood to leave, Meg shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"No, I want him here," she said, nodding for Lew to come back beside her. "I love you both so much and I'm sorry for any distress I caused you."

"Distress? Not that you need to apologize for it," Lew said, "but your brother and I were both pulling our hair out."

Watching the two with a smile, Marco stood and ducked out, intent on finding his son. Meg had someone to comfort her; Adam didn't.

Alone, Meg pulled Lew closer and pushed herself up so she could kiss him. Ignoring the pain coursing through her body, she pulled and pulled until he was as close as possible, practically hovering over her on the bed. She didn't care that her body hurt; she needed to feel this again.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear and she smiled.

"I love you too."

"What do you say we get you out of here?" he asked and she nodded, reaching her arms up toward him.

Lifting her up in his arms, he carried her out the door and down the hall to the doors outside. A jeep was waiting for them and Meg noticed that the back seats had indeed been covered with a mattress for her to lay on.

"I'm perfectly capable of riding in a jeep like a normal person," Meg protested as Lew carried her over to a jeep.

"And I say differently," Adam said, coming up beside them. "If you're going to stay with us, you have to follow my instructions, otherwise it's back to England with you." His tone was curt but pain was evident on his face. Meg could read his expression like a book.

"Alright," Meg said, annoyed that her brother was pulling authority, but trying not to show it. She didn't want to be the annoying little sister right now. "Where did you go off to?"

"The Eagle's Nest," he said as Lew set her down on the makeshift bed and began to make her comfortable. Nothing else was said, but it wasn't needed. She knew Adam had gone over there to see Christian's body for himself. She knew he was hurting, but there was nothing she could say to make him feel better.

Meg sighed, leaning back to lay down. Adam hoped up into the seat in front of her, turning around to make sure she was alright.

"I'm fine, stop babying me," she said, turning her face in the other direction and closing her eyes. Today had been too much. She needed a break from it all.

Taking that as a dismissal, Lew turned and headed to the jeep where Dick was currently getting situated. Climbing in, he looked back to make sure Meg was alright.

He knew he'd keep checking every ten minutes.

* * *

_**IceColdInAlex -** Thanks for your review! I was so nervous writing this because I really wanted people to be able to know exactly what was going on...but I also didn't want to go overboard with description. I hope it wasn't too much though...so fingers crossed that your second read through let you take it all in! Hahaha_

_**ilovemedia18 -** Sorry I didn't update right away lol. Hopefully this is soon enough! At least I didn't go on a hiatus and make you wait months lol. And yay for agreeing with me that she should be the one to kill the General. I tossed around a few ideas, but ultimately I was like "No, Meg has to do it." Thanks for your review!_

_**Rose2621 -** Thanks for your review! I hope this chapter was AS amazing haha_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Yeah, that would have been badass. Too bad Joe wasn't still with the guys lol. And I'm sorry he's now out of the story... :( Whenever I mention the other guys, you can pretend he's with them haha. And believe me sister, I know what you mean about Aaron's voice. I just listened to Dead to You on CD (because he narrates it) and I actually had to stop listening to it in the car because sigh...his voice hahaha. When I'm bummed or trying to sleep, I turn on my Aaron playlist and that usually does the trick lol. It's perfect. And you should just send him the letter. idk how much postage would cost for you to send something to NYC but if it means that much to you, it might be worth it, you know? And yeah, I hope I get a response too hahaha. Anyway, back to the chapter lol. I'm glad you liked it! I hope you liked this one too! Thanks for the lovely review (as always!)_

_**ActiveIngredient -** I wondered where you had gone hahaha. I'm glad you're back and were able to catch up on the chapters! I'm so flattered it was the only one you read! (I'm blushing btw haha) In regards to the action scene, I'm so glad people like it! I thought it sucked hahaha. I've never really written action before, and the stuff I have written is like, so lame and simple so this time I wanted it to be as good as I could make it. In regards to the rumor, I was thinking back to when they ran into Captain Norris waaaaay back when their relationship had just started. I probably should have made that more clear...damn haha. As for the cheese, yeah I know. I guess my thoughts were that the amount of time it took her to do all that was probably how long it took the guys to get there after driving into town. I kinda wanted to show her badass side though, and I feel like this showed the guys exactly who she was. They hadn't seen her in action ever, and finding her on the floor would kinda be like "Oh shit what happened?" But seeing her still standing (even though she collapsed almost immediately) and hearing the tone of her voice, and THEN walking in and seeing everything, I felt like that was more of a BAM Meg's a badass beast. Is it cheesy? Definitely. Does it have a big affect? I thought so. But I'm glad you told me what you thought! Thanks for your review and thanks for inflating my ego with all your flattery! hahahaha_

_**SparkELee -** Yay you're back! Thanks for ALL your reviews! You totally didn't have to review every chapter to catch up (But I'm SO glad you did hahahaha). I love the terms "vivid" and "real." If I was ever able to bypass all the copyright and legality laws, those are the words I'd want on the back cover of the paperback edition...hahahahaha. Yeah, we've seen Meg the...uh shoot, what's the word? Damnit. Well anyway, we've seen Meg as the kind of agent who does the decoding and the planning etc, but this is the first time we've seen her as the badass agent who doesn't take anybody's shit. Of course then she promptly fainted like any good female character...but at least she killed some people first haha. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about everything else!_


	34. I Hate This Sight

_Yay it's here! Another chapter!_

_First, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who thought of my hometown yesterday. It meant a lot to us to know people around the country and the world were thinking of us, even if it was only for a second. Thank you._

_Second, I have ridiculously depressing news. This story is almost over! I was going through the file today and came to the realization and I'm like, depressed. Like, go buy ice cream and wine and sit in a dark room cuddled in a blanket depressed. I can't believe I've been posting this weekly since mid-July! And I can't believe some of you have been with me for that long! It's so crazy!_

_Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! :)_

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Other than Adam's insistent mothering, the drive to Austria was a peaceful one. Meg lay in the back of the jeep, gazing out across the scenery as they drove. Although she had been to Austria before, there was something about it this time around. Maybe it was the fact that the war was over, or maybe it was because her life was back in order. Either way, Austria seemed much more beautiful than she remembered.

People waved to them as they drove past, running out of their houses in excitement to see the Americans. When Meg's jeep drove by, many of them looked at her in surprise, eyebrows rising. None of them expected to see a woman with this group of soldiers.

When the jeeps came to a stop she groaned, rolling over and hoisting herself up so she could see what they had come to a stop for.

A large, luxurious hotel stood before them, looking out over a crystal clear lake. It had to be at least five stories and Meg slowly tilted her head back to look at the entire building.

"Wow," Meg gasped, taking it all in.

"Nice, isn't it?" Adam asked, walking over to stand beside the jeep next to her. She was still slightly frustrated with him because of his actions on the drive over, but she knew she couldn't be childish. She had to let it go.

"Is this where we're staying?" she asked, looking up at the gorgeous building in front of her. Adam nodded just as Dick walked over.

"We're meeting with some German soldiers in a few hours for their official surrender," he said before nodding in Meg's direction. "If you want to take her inside for now, we'll get a room ready and-"

"No," Meg said, pulling herself up straighter as she cut him off. Both Adam and Dick turned to her, surprised at her outburst. "I'd like to be there when the Germans officially surrender, if I can," she added as an afterthought but it was just a formality. She wouldn't let Dick say no. If he did, she'd sneak in anyway. She had played just as big a role in the last few months as these Americans had and she would not let them exclude her because she was a woman or injured; or both.

The Major looked up at Adam, asking his permission. When the agent nodded, Dick sighed.

"Alright, but let's see if we can find you some clothes first."

* * *

An hour later, Meg was in a hotel room, looking at herself in the mirror. Doc Roe had just changed her bandages and she was waiting on Adam to arrive with fresh clothes for her to put on. Dick was right, she couldn't expect to meet the Germans officially if she was dressed in a nightgown.

When a knock sounded on the door, she didn't turn around, simply telling Adam to come in.

The sound of a throat clearing caused her to look up, spotting Lew through the mirror. She spun around with a smile, wanting to run to him but knowing her injuries would prevent her. Still, she'd be lying if she said her body didn't ache for him. It had been months since their last embrace, not counting the few moments back in Germany when she was bedridden. Although it had been nice to see him then, she wasn't counting it as their most recent moment together.

"I uh, brought you some clothes," Lew said, walking forward and setting them on the bed. Meg smiled at him, walking slowly toward him.

They met halfway, Lew holding her lightly as he pulled her in for a kiss.

"I missed this," she said, smiling against his lips. In response, Lew pulled her in closer, causing her to wince slightly. He released her as if she'd burned his hands. "Lew," she pleaded but he shook his head. Suddenly she wished she had controlled her reactions more. Her pain was worth being with Lew.

"I don't want to hurt you more," he told her, and she smiled softly, reaching out to take his hand.

"You could never hurt me," she told him, taking a step forward. She wrapped herself up in his arms, resting her head against his chest. "Will you help me get changed? I can't do it with this arm," she said and she felt his head nod, his chin bumping against the top of her head.

He had brought her a simple tan blouse and brown skirt. She was glad he had been there; she would have been too embarrassed to ask Adam or any of the other men to help her change. As it was, she was too shy to ask who had put her in a fresh nightgown back in Germany.

As Lew helped her out of the nightgown and into the fresh clothes, Meg felt her whole body cry out for him. What would the others do if she and Lew arrived an hour late? Weren't they allowed to have any time alone?

But Lew stayed professional, the only indication to his agitation was the constant clearing of his throat. He barely touched her more than he had to and Meg silently wondered what he would do if she purposefully moved her body to touch his more. Still, she decided against it; they were on a timeframe.

After buttoning the top button of her collar, Lew leaned forward, placing a kiss on her lips.

"I love you," he whispered and she felt chills course through her body.

That was what she had missed the most.

"I love you too," she replied before stepping back. "Now will you help me down to where we're meeting the Germans?"

She had meant for him to merely help her walk down there, so when he bent over and picked her up she sighed.

"Why does everyone insist on carrying me around like I'm a Goddamn china vase?" she asked in frustration as they headed out the door. Lew laughed, his chest rumbling against her.

"Because to us you are," he told her before turning serious. "We couldn't protect you before, so we're sure as hell gonna do everything to protect you now."

Meg wanted to roll her eyes at the sentiment but instead she let it be. Adam and Lew cared about her. She knew if either of them had gone missing and were presumed dead, she would do everything for them when they returned. She couldn't fault them for doing the same thing.

When they arrived in the hotel lobby, the realized they were late. Dick was sitting at a chair, Ron, Harry and Adam behind him. Before them stood two German officers. When everyone turned at their entrance, Meg's eyebrows rose.

She recognized the German Colonel and, from the look on his face, he recognized her too.

"So the rumors are true then," he said to her in English and she nodded, wiggling to make Lew set her on her feet. He did, holding onto her until she was settled on the ground.

"And Deiderich?" he asked.

"Dead," was all she said as she hobbled over to join her brother. The Colonel nodded as if this was the answer he expected and turned back to Dick.

Meg tuned the conversation out, her eyes focusing on the medals that lined the Colonel's jacket. They reminded her of Deiderich. He was always so proud of his medals, bragging and pointing them out whenever he could.

Shaking her head, Meg sighed. She wouldn't let his memory fill her head now. Closing her eyes, she turned her face to look down at Dick's head. But the memories still flooded through her and she knew then that it would be this way for a while. Lew and Adam would understand, but what about the other lads? Would they constantly wonder what had happened to her? Or perhaps slip and make a comment without knowing they were hitting a nerve. She'd have to ask Adam to tell them what happened. She couldn't do it again, but they needed to know.

As Harry escorted the Colonel and the other German soldier out, Meg turned to the other men.

"I'd like to go back upstairs," She said, wishing to be rid of everything that had just happened. She had thought she would be able to handle seeing the Germans surrender, but she had been wrong. She hadn't heard a word that was spoken, and now all her thoughts were flooding back to her.

Both Adam and Lew stood up but Lew shook his head.

"I got her," he said as he bent down and picked Meg up carefully, wrapping his arms around her.

"Adam," she said softly as Lew turned her so she could face her brother. "Will you tell the?"

He knew what she meant and he nodded once, telling her he would. It wouldn't be easy for him either, but right now she couldn't really dwell on that.

Lew carried her back upstairs and down the hall. As they approached her door, Meg shook her head.

"Not my room," she said, making him pause. "Yours."

"Meg," he cautioned slowly but she looked up at him, pleading in her eyes.

"Please Lew," she said softly. "I want to feel happy again." She hadn't meant to get emotional, but at her statement she found her eyes welling with tears. She had been hurt in so many ways in the past few months. Being with Lew again would be the best thing to happen now.

Unable to resist her, Lew sighed, turning and carrying her into her room and over to a door she hadn't noticed before, making her raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"You think I'd let you out of my sight again?" he asked as he pushed the door open. She had seen the door earlier but had assumed it was a closet. She had no idea it was a door to connect their two rooms together.

Lew carried her inside and shut the door with his back before setting her gently down on the bed. He leaned down to hover over her, not letting any of their skin touch for fear of hurting her. A glimmer caught her eye and she looked up, reaching her hand up and catching her mother's ring in her fingers. He still had it. It made her smile as she looked from the ring to Lew's face.

"Lewis Nixon, I want you to make love to me right now," she said softly, pulling him to her by his dog tags.

He was gentle; much too gentle for Meg's liking, but she knew he only did it because he was worried he would hurt her more. He didn't realize that this was exactly what she needed. The past few months her romance with Lew had been tainted by the rough, one-sided passion of the General. He had hurt her, erasing the passion she felt with Lew. She needed that back and she needed it right then.

Reaching up, Meg gripped his shoulders with her hands, digging her nails into his skin. He hissed at the contact, unintentionally deepening their kiss. Meg smiled against his mouth at her success, beginning to trail her fingers roughly up and down his back.

"Meg," he whimpered but she shushed him.

"I can handle it," she told him. "And if I can't, I'll be sure to let you know."

He still seemed unsure so she shoved him with her elbow, trying to turn him over. He complied, mostly because he didn't want her to hurt herself in the effort.

Now she was the one hovering over him; she was the one in command. Trailing kisses down his chest, she sighed at the familiarity of his skin. Everything about this situation was so familiar. It was like she had finally come home.

Hours later they lay there, Lew taking in the sight of the sun basking across her skin. Thinking she was asleep, he put his hand out, softly dragging his palm across her arm.

It still felt like a dream, seeing her laying there beside him. After all these months she was there; she was his again.

Leaning over, he kissed the skin under her ear.

"Marry me," he whispered when he realized she was indeed awake. He felt her body stiffen before she tried to roll over. She cried out, remembering her injured arm and he chuckled once before carefully climbing over her so he was on her other side, facing her.

"What?" she asked once he was situated, the look on her face telling him she knew exactly what he had asked. Still, he said it again.

"Marry me," he kept his voice low, gazing into her eyes as he saw them moisten.

"But what about Katharine?" she asked and he shook his head, reaching his thumb up to wipe away a tear that was trailing down her cheek. Why did she keep crying today?

"Forget her," he said truthfully. "I want to be with you." Meg didn't know about the divorce, she didn't know that he and Katharine were over, but right now she didn't need to know. All she needed was the knowledge that he wanted to be with her. Forever.

The tears filled her eyes up as she looked at him, a smile slowly creeping across her face. Using her one good hand, she reached for the back of his neck, pulling his face to hers.

"Is that a yes?" he asked when their kiss broke apart a moment later. Too happy for words, she nodded frantically, her smile growing wider.

"Yes!"

* * *

The next week found Meg able to hobble around better. The cuts on her body had shrunk, the bruises almost completely nonexistent. The only things that remained to indicate the roughness she had endured were the arm sling for her right arm and the bandage on her left wrist.

Unlike the last time she was on leave of duty, this time Meg was able to relax. She quickly found out that the only people to know a door connected her room to Lew's were them and Doc Roe. Each night, after kissing Adam on the cheek, she would retire to her room, heading through the connecting door and climbing into Lew's bed to wait. It usually wasn't very long before he would appear, a grin on his face as he climbed in beside her.

Realizing Lew didn't want to talk about it, Meg prodded her brother until he admitted that Lew's wife had written him asking for a divorce.

"He was furious, but I think most of his anger was over the fact that now both women in his life were gone," he told her as they sat curled up in Adam's room, each with a cup of tea in their hands. "You don't understand Meg, I've never seen a man more affected by anything in his life. He barely ate, hell all he did was drink. I know you were always worried about his drinking habits but they got a hell of a lot worse when you went missing."

This revelation actually made her feel sorry. Until then, all of her feelings about her kidnapping and abuse had been about herself; pain, sorrow, helplessness. When Adam told her what her disappearance did to Lew, she actually felt guilty, as if it was all her fault that it had happened.

She'd never be able to give them back that time together, or make him forget that he had almost lost her, but she would try her hardest to mend it.

* * *

Each morning, Meg would wake to the sun coming through the open balcony doors. Most mornings Lew was still beside her, his arm delicately draped across her body, still afraid to break her. Some mornings however, he woke before her, some form of duty calling him. On those mornings, she would spend extra time in the bed, taking in the smell of him on the sheets with a sigh.

This was what she wanted, to be with him in a state of forever laziness.

Eventually, her brother would knock on her door, causing her to quickly rush back into her room, throwing on a bathrobe as she shut the connecting door. She had an inkling her brother might have suspected what was going on but he never let on that he knew.

* * *

"Meg!" George's voice cried over the sound of the music. Meg smirked when she realized it was a local band, not a jukebox like back at Aldbourne. Weaving her way through the small crowd of men, she came to a stop by her favorite and let him buy her a drink.

"It's crowded tonight," she said, noting that almost all of the Easy men were there. All save for Lew, Dick, and Harry. Odd.

"Yeah," George said, taking a gulp of beer before swallowing. "How ya feeling kid? Arm any better?"

He nodded to the offending appendage and she waved it a bit, not enough to hurt but enough to show him it was useable.

"Doc says it'll be back to normal in no time," she informed him, smiling at Joe Liebgott as he walked over.

"Hey doll," he said and Meg was quick to notice the change in his demeanor. He seemed a little more tense; a little more sad.

"Hi Joe," Meg said as she patted his arm. She would never be able to fully comprehend what these men had endured since she last saw them, just like they would never be able to fully comprehend what happened to her. War did funny things like that, but it was best if they all just accepted it as a way of life. They could bond over the fact that something _had _happened, and it would be with them all forever.

"Feel like dancing?" George asked after the three of them had stood there for a while. Meg nodded, setting her drink down and letting George lead her out to the floor. Since no other women were around, they were the only couple dancing, and Meg tried not to feel awkward with all eyes on them.

"So how's the Captain?" George asked as they danced. "Ask you to marry him yet?"

His question had been a joke, but upon hearing it, Meg tensed. She didn't stop dancing because she didn't want to draw any more attention to them, but George still noticed.

"No shit," he said in disbelief, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Don't tell anyone George," Meg begged quickly. "Not even Adam. Lew only just asked me."

"What about-"

"Katharine? Apparently she wants a divorce."

George was quiet for a minute as he pondered over what he had been told. Meg knew it was somewhat of a shock, especially since they had all been apart for months.

"So where are you two gonna live then? Jersey or England?"

"I have no idea," Meg said, the worry evident in her tone. George sighed before pulling her tighter to him.

"Well wherever, you two will have a great life. I always knew you'd end up together."

"You most certainly did not!" Meg scolded with a laugh. "I distinctly remember getting a lecture from you back at Aldbourne."

George let go of her to hold up his hands defensively.

"Hey, I was only doing that for your own good. Just because I wanted you to be smart about it didn't mean I didn't want you two together!" he informed her and Meg couldn't help smirking, pulling George back to her.

"I know, and I'm sorry," she said. "Do you know where he is?" she added and he glanced around the room, shrugging.

"No but Winters and Welsh are missing too. The three of them are probably all off somewhere planning to run the Army."

Meg laughed at his joke before excusing herself and disappearing out into the night.

It wasn't long before she found the three, huddled on a stone step as both Harry and Lew smoked cigarettes.

"So marriage, huh?" Dick asked and Meg paused, ducking into the shadows.

They were talking about her.

"You think I'm crazy," Lew said as more of a statement.

"I think you deserve to be happy," Dick informed him. "And if Meg's what makes you happy, then go for it."

"She does," Lew said firmly.

"Where will you two live then?" Harry's voice piped up. "And is she still planning to stay in the IIA?"

There was no vocal answer from Lew, but Dick's next statement told her that it must have been a shrug, or something noncommittal.

"Don't you think it's something you two should talk about?"

"We will," Lew said casually.

"So what happens if she wants to stay in England with the IIA and you want to stay in Jersey with the Nitration Works?"

She assumed Lew shrugged again.

"So which one of you gives it all up?"

Harry's question struck Meg more than she thought it would. She hadn't really thought of their situation that way and it threw her off.

Disappearing into the shadows, as was her custom, Meg left unknown to the three men.

Harry had a good point. If it came down to it, which one of them would give it all up? She loved Lew, but could she really give up the IIA for him? It was her life, everything she had ever lived for. Could she throw it all away for Lew, if he asked her to?

Likewise, would Lew be able to drop the family business if she asked him to? Would he be willing to move across the pond to live with her in England? Would he be able to send her away on her missions, knowing there was always a chance she might not come back?

Could she do that to him?

* * *

Before she knew it, it was almost July. Her wounds had almost completely healed, save for a scar on her shoulder from the bullet. Able to use both hands almost fully again, she took to walking around the town, taking in the sights and enjoying her new freedom. She hadn't been completely free since Aldbourne.

Sometimes she'd walk around with Lew, arm in arm as they took in the wonderful weather. It had been so long since she had felt so at peace, she was glad she had her favorites to enjoy it with.

Neither of them discussed the dilemmas that Harry and Dick had brought up that one night, but Meg knew they were on Lew's mind, just as they were on hers. They'd have to discuss it at some point, but Meg was willing to put it off as long as possible.

If she wasn't glued to Lew or Adam, George was attached to her hip, regaling her with courageous stories of the last month. When she was finally feeling better, many of her evenings were spent with the men of Easy, listening to stories as they all drank fancy Austrian alcohol.

It felt like they were back in Aldbourne; with the exception of a few missing faces, it felt like they'd never left.

Unfortunately, Meg knew her new lifestyle wouldn't last.

The war was still raging in the Pacific and she had heard from a few of the men that the 506th was definitely going to be deployed there. The men were staying ready for battle and Meg dreaded the day when she and Lew would be separated again.

She just never expected she would be the one to leave first.

* * *

"Mail!" a voice shouted, causing every head in the dining room to look up. Adam and Meg sighed as similar envelopes were placed in front of them. Meg looked up, catching Lew's eye.

He knew what it meant.

Marco's letter was short, simply stating that both siblings were needed at Base immediately. However, as she read it, Meg felt her stomach drop.

What did this mean for her and Lew?

"What did it say?" Lew asked when he walked into her room after the meal, frowning slightly when he saw her packing again. "I hate this sight," he said and she stopped, turning to him with a sad face. He had no idea how much she hated it too.

"We're needed back at Base. Marco didn't say what for."

Instead of responding, Lew changed the subject.

"Now that I know Marco is your father, why do you call him Marco?"

"He told us to," Meg said simply, turning back to her packing. Although all of her things had been lost when she was rushed from Berlin, she had acquired a few new possessions while here in Zel Am See, mostly from local women eager to show appreciation for the American soldiers. "He didn't want anyone to think we felt privileged that he was our father. By calling him Marco, it put us on a same level as everyone else," she explained, putting the last item in her suitcase and zipping it up.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Lew said as she stepped forward to pull him into a hug.

"I know, but it's my job."

"It'll always be this way, won't it?" Lew asked and Meg realized what he meant, feeling her stomach drop even more. Was this it? Were they finally having this discussion?

In response she nodded. As long as she was still an agent with the IIA, she would be at risk of being called on a mission at a minute's notice. That was the price one paid to be an IIA agent.

Still, she wasn't going to worry about these things now. She had no idea what would happen in the future, so there was no point dwelling.

"I'll write, I promise," Meg said with a forced smile. "Marco won't send me out on anything too intense so soon. Wherever I am I promise I'll be able to send and receive letters."

"You better," Lew said, trying to make light of the situation.

Then, before either could say anything else to sour the mood further, Meg stood on tiptoes, placing a soft kiss on his lips. He returned it, increasing the intensity as his arms wrapped tighter around her. He had come to enjoy being with her over the past weeks as her injuries slowly waned. He no longer felt as if she would break any second, something she enjoyed as well.

A knock on her door caused them both to pull apart, looking up as Adam walked in.

"Ready?" he asked, giving Meg an apologetic look. She nodded, reaching for her suitcase only to find it already in Lew's hand. He nodded to the door and she stepped in front, leading the way down to the waiting jeep.

"I'll see you soon kid," he said, patting her on the head before stroking her cheek with his thumb. She nodded, holding back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Try to stay out of trouble," she said, forcing a smile over her tears. "I don't want to have to come save you in Japan."

Lew laughed as the jeep pulled away, leaving a trail of dust.

* * *

_Oh no! Separated again! Poor Meg and Lew..._

_**nixjen -** Thanks so much! Seriously, it has been a pleasure to share my writing talents. I'm just glad people want to read what my writing talents create! It means the world to me that my little idea has grown into something people seem to like so much! Thanks for reviewing!_

_**tepaea -** Obsessed is such a strong word and I'm so honored that you've used it in this situation! As for reading at work, I do it ALL the time...it might get me in trouble someday, but stories can be so addicting haha. And thanks for the opinion on my chapters! A critique like that means a lot to me! I can't believe people are paying that much attention to my story haha. And I will be the first to admit that in some of my other stories, the heroine has totally been a damsel in distress, so this time around I tried really hard with Meg. I'm glad she comes off as more of a badass who can take care of herself! As for missing the story, believe me, I will too. I'm to the point where I'm thinking about skipping weeks of posting...just to drag the last few out haha. I won't...but it's tempting. Thanks for the review!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Thanks for your review, as usual. Yeah, the audio book is totally worth it. And yeah, I debated getting Perfect a couple weeks ago but I decided I didn't want to hear the whole story...just his voice. I've only listened to the Youtube clips haha. And my Aaron playlist is getting played way more than it should. In 3 days the audio of the Oscars performance became my top-played song on my entire iTunes...which I've had since 2009...hahahaha. I'm actually working on an Aaron FanFic right now (shameless plug hahahaah) and listening to his music is GREAT moTveition hahaha see what I did there? But thanks for loving the chapter! It was a tough one to right in a lot of different ways, so it's great to see people like it so much!_

_**Rose2621 -** Thanks so much for your review! And also, thanks for remembering. It means a lot to me to know that someone outside of Chardon was thinking of my on Wednesday. But I'm glad to see I have a fellow northeastern Ohioan reading my story! So exciting!_

_**ilovemedia18 -** I'm glad they're together again too! Yay for them! And thank you for taking the time to watch that video. Losing people so tragically, no matter how it happens, is always painful, and you're right, it never really goes away. As for the multitude of sorry's, it was just nice to know that people were thinking of us. Knowing we're not alone actually helps a ton, so thank you :) And thank you for reviewing too!_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Fantastic!? That's so exciting! And what a lovely present to find waiting for you! I'm glad it wasn't disappointing...like opening your stocking on Christmas and finding socks and underwear. That would have been the worst if my story was the equivalent of that. And I feel awful for saying this, but yay for tearing up! It's so weird to think people besides myself have gotten so attached to my characters. It's a great feeling! And I'm glad the Marco thing shocked you! I didn't want it to be obvious, so I'm glad it was a surprise. As for the Austria chapter...I hope it didn't disappoint. In my mind, their days in Austria were somewhat monotonous and if I wrote them, they'd end up sounding just like the first few chapters of the story: going to the pub every night and chatting. I hope this way worked for you! Thanks for the review!_


	35. I Can't

_Well...sad news._

_This is the second last chapter. All that's left is the epilogue._

_You guys have no idea what this realization is doing to me. I'm literally sitting here, crying, because when I finished editing this chapter, I knew it was almost over._

_But I'm getting ahead of myself. Without further ado, here's the next chapter._

_Don't kill me._

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

_July 28, 1945_

It was raining.

Not that Meg was surprised by this; it was July in London after all.

Hurrying down the stone steps, she opened her umbrella before blending in with the crowd.

She had been back in London for almost three weeks, but it felt like much longer; so much longer since Austria.

Upon her arrival at Base, Marco had summoned her and Adam to his office separately. Meg was first, and when she stood before him, she couldn't help but run into Marco's outstretched arms. She had always kept the professional distance, but after everything that had happened recently, she needed the comfort of a father's arms.

"I'm alright," she assured him, and for the first time it was the truth.

She didn't know if it was Lew, or the fact that everything was at peace, but she hadn't had a single nightmare since everything had happened. It had worried her at first that maybe her brain was in denial, but even after arriving back in England the nightmares had stayed away.

After their reunion, Marco had told Meg to sit, a look of worry spreading across his face. It terrified her, and she wondered what he could possibly be planning to say.

"Just tell me," she'd insisted, knowing the news wasn't good. There was no way he would be making that face if it were good news.

"We're retiring you from duty," he said, putting it straightforward.

Meg let out the breath she had been holding. She knew this was a big possibility, especially after everything. She knew Marco wouldn't be able to keep his fatherly feelings out of this, but she also knew it was the wrong choice. She had been an agent for over ten years; she was willing to give ten more.

When she told this to Marco, he shook his head.

"We're not asking you for more Meg. You're done serving."

Before she had time to protest, he continued.

"Since you've been gone we've had a great influx in IIAA students. With the war as good as over, no doubt more agents will be willing to enroll their children. We're going to need more teachers; teachers who have actually been on the field and done what they're teaching."

Meg realized what he was saying, her eyes widening.

"We want you to teach for the IIAA."

Although it wasn't what she wanted to do, it was a big honor. And if staying an agent in the field wasn't an option, what better way to use her talents than to teach students who would one day be taking her place in the IIA world.

But what about Lew? What about the perfect life she pictured them having? While it would have been hard, but not impossible, for her to be an IIA agent and live in New Jersey, being a teacher for the IIAA required her to be in England. Living in the States was completely out of the question.

Would Lew want to move to England and live with her? Did he love her enough to give up absolutely everything? Did she want him to?

"Meg?" Marco asked, bringing her back to the present. "Do you have an answer?"

Despite everything, she'd be an idiot to not take it.

"Alright," she said, smiling as she stuck out her hand for a handshake.

It was time for new beginnings.

Now here she was, hurrying through the rain to get to a familiar pub. She was running late and she knew it was something she would be called out on upon her arrival.

Walking through the door, she shook her umbrella and closed it up, setting it in the umbrella stand by the door.

"There she is!" Harry shouted when she approached them, shaking the water droplets from her coat. He raised his half empty glass in her direction, as if he was cheersing her.

"Sorry," she apologized as the rest of the men at the table turned to look at her. She looked around, taking a mental roll call.

Harry, Ron, Dick, and Lew.

They were all here. They were all safe. A breath she didn't realize she had been holding was released. Then her eyes widened slightly as her mind registered that Dick there and Harry laughed, throwing his arm around the major's shoulders and squeezing him roughly.

"We practically dragged him from his room," he explained and Meg shook her head as she slid into the booth next to Lew. Immediately his hand found hers under the table, squeezing it tightly. It had been so long since she had seen him, it was driving her crazy.

"That eager to see me again Dick?" she teased as she returned Lew's hand squeeze, stroking her thumb over his palm.

"That's what they said to finally convince me," Dick explained with a roll of his eyes. "'How do you think Meg's gonna feel if you don't show up to see her Dick?' So now I have to keep everyone in line while we're here."

"Well I can help you with that," Meg said with a smile. "I have classes tomorrow morning so I can't be drinking."

"Look at you, a big time teacher now," Lew said, speaking for the first time. "Giving all your students the opportunity to hear your war stories?"

"They wish," Meg snorted. "Tomorrow's a decoding test. They need to pass six of them before they can get a pass and move up a level," she explained, reaching over to take a sip of Lew's whiskey.

She had missed him. She had missed all of them over the past three weeks, but mostly Lew.

She and Lew had kept to their word, writing letters to each other as much as possible. It was almost like he was back at Aldbourne and she was stationed back in London. Back before the war had damaged them all.

When he had written that he and some of the guys were taking a week long furlough in London, she had to hold back from bouncing around the room with the excitement of seeing them. Of seeing him.

But her excitement was marred slightly. Marred by the fact that she had to talk to him. They had to discuss what was in their future, and she didn't think he'd like to hear what she had to say. She had thought they'd have more time to live in perfect, engaged bliss, but now he was here, and it couldn't be put off. She had to tell him.

Pushing those depressing thoughts from her mind, she moved her hand up to pat his thigh, squeezing it lightly. He glanced down at her, grinning at the touch and she blushed. She had missed that grin.

Seeming to notice the sideways glances passing between the two, Harry slid out of the booth, motioning to the bar.

"Dick, Ron, come with me to get a drink," he said, trying to be casual.

"Harry..." Dick said, obviously about to remind the Lieutenant that he didn't drink.

"Just walk with us," Ron said gruffly, catching on and practically pushing Dick out of the booth.

"Real subtle," Lew said as the three men walked away. Meg just chuckled, turning to face him. Reaching up, she placed her left hand on his jaw, stroking the skin with her fingers. She had almost forgotten what he felt like.

Obviously wanting more than that, Lew leaned in and captured her lips with his. However, before it had really started, he pulled away.

It was much too fast for her liking and she sighed, knowing it was all they could manage in public.

"I've missed you, again," she said, both of them smirking.

"Same here," Lew replied, reaching up to brush a damp strand of hair behind her ear. Despite her umbrella, the rain had somehow still managed to soak her hair.

"Lew I..." Meg started before trailing off. She didn't want to have this conversation here. Not when the others would be returning any minute. Neither of them deserved that; and selfishly she hoped she could put it off forever. "How have things been in France?" she asked, changing the subject. Lew noticed but he didn't say anything.

"Alright. A lot of the men have gone on to other things so there aren't a lot of Easy left together."

"When do you think you boys will get shipped to the Pacific?" she asked and Lew shrugged, leaning back in the booth.

"Who knows," he responded, lifting his glass to his lips. "Are you sure I can't get you anything?" he asked, nodding in the direction of her empty hands.

She shook her head, reaching over to straighten his Captains bars on his collar.

He watched her hand before looking up into her eyes.

"Is it bad that all I want to do right now is take you back to my hotel room and make love to you all night long?" he asked, his voice becoming husky. It sent chills down Meg's spine.

"No, because I want the same thing," she whispered, looking down at her lap before glancing back up to catch his eye.

It was at that moment that the other three returned, Harry and Ron with drinks in hand.

"We're heading out," Lew announced as he slid out of the booth.

"Already? But Meg just got here," Harry whined but Lew ignored him, practically shoving Meg's coat up her arms.

"It was nice seeing you boys again," Meg said with a smile. "I'm sure I'll see more of you in the coming week."

The three tipped their hats to Meg as Lew began to herd her toward the door.

They barely made it to his hotel room. In the elevator he pinned her against the wall, pulling her coat back to trail kisses down her neck as he held her wrists up above her head. She sighed as his lips seared her skin. This was what she had missed; the passion and fire between them.

When the elevator opened on the fourth floor he grabbed her hand, yanking her down the hallway and to a stop outside his door. As he fumbled with his key she grew bold, stepping forward and reaching up to kiss his ear, sucking gently before scraping her teeth across it.

"Meg," his voice came out strangled as the keys jangled more in his hands. She smirked, taking them from him and sliding the correct one into the lock.

Lew pushed the door open with her body, shoving her into the room and kicking the door shut behind them.

Pinning her back up against the wall, he ripped her coat off her arms, flinging his arm back to toss it behind them. Grabbing her by the hips, he lifted her up, Meg wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Lew," she whispered against his lips, lifting her arms up to run her fingers through his hair. She needed this. She needed to feel him. To remember him. To never forget what this felt like.

As he carried her to the bed, she turned her head away from him, reaching up to wipe a tear from her cheek.

* * *

As dawn approached, Meg lay there, awake but exhausted. She smiled as Lew traced kisses down her side, his stubble tickling her skin.

They hadn't slept a wink all night, instead spending the time getting reacquainted with each other's bodies. What had started out rough and full of need had turned into gentle, soft, romantic passion and Meg never wanted it to end.

But it had to.

"I'm not going to be able to stay awake for my classes today," she said, her fingers moving on their own accord to run through his hair.

"Call them off. Stay with me," he said, his lips reattaching to her skin.

"I can't," she said and he stopped, looking up at her.

They both realized at the same moment exactly what she meant.

She loved him, she truly did, but she also loved the IIA. It was her life. Could she really give it up for New Jersey? Could she ask him to give up New Jersey for her?

The answer to both those questions was no, and they both knew it.

"Meg," Lew said before cutting himself off. He pulled himself up next to her, resting his forehead against hers. "No," he said, seeming to decide something. "I can't do that to you."

"Lew," Meg started to protest but he shook his head, cutting her off.

"You and I both know how much you love the IIA. It's what you were born to do. I can't be selfish and ask you to give it all up and move to New Jersey with me."

Meg wanted so much to argue with him; to tell him he was wrong and she wanted nothing more than to join him in New Jersey forever. But something held her back. It was her hesitation that made him nod.

"I never used to understand when people would say they loved something enough to let it go," Lew said, leaning over to kiss her shoulder. "Now I do."

"Lew," Meg said, feeling tears begin to form. She had never been much of a crier before meeting Lewis Nixon. How had he changed that in her?

He reached up, swiping a thumb under each eye to catch the tears that were there.

Realizing he was waiting for her to say something, she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Lew said as he pulled her close. "Let's not worry about this today. Today, there's just you and me, nothing else, alright?"

She nodded as he pulled her in for a kiss.

She would cry about it later.

* * *

Two days later Japan surrendered. The streets filled with people as they cheered and celebrated. Meg stayed in her office, looking down at everything from the large office window.

She didn't feel like celebrating much of anything.

A knock caused her to jump and turn around. Adam was standing there, an apologetic smile on her face.

"Alright kiddo?" he asked, coming to stand next to her.

Unlike Meg, Adam hadn't been relieved of duty. He was still an agent, going off on missions. He had a new teammate, a man named Gerald who was a little younger than Meg, fresh out of the IIA. Adam got annoyed with him sometimes, just as any seasoned agent would do with a newbie, but Meg knew he was a good kid. In fact, he probably made a better partner than she had.

She'd be the last to admit she was jealous; but she was.

"I'm alright," Meg said, turning from the window to look at him. As her brother, he could tell from her facial expression that she was far from alright but he ignored it, holding out an envelope.

"This was dropped off for you," he said as she took it, knowing immediately who it was from. She didn't even have to look at the familiar writing on the front.

With trembling hands she tore it open, holding back a sob when her mother's ring fell out, landing in her palm.

"Is that..." Adam started but stopped, realizing the object had upset Meg. Sliding it onto her finger, she reached into the envelope and pulled out a slip of paper, unfolding it.

_Meg,_

_ With things ending how they have, I don't deserve to hold onto this. I'm returning it to you, because I know how much it means to you. I will always remember how much it meant for you to give it to me. I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life. What you were wearing, the look on your face, how your hair smelled, and how perfect that ring felt resting against my skin with my tags._

_ I love you. I always have and I always will. That won't change because of all this. We both know you need the IIA in your life, and it's because of that that I'm letting you go. How could I ever expect you to move to New Jersey with me, when you belong in England, doing the job you've trained for your whole life? I've been called selfish and spoiled in the past, but this would take the cake. You deserve to be happy Meg, and the IIA deserves to have its best agent teaching its pupils. I won't be the person who comes in the way of all that._

_ I'll never forget you and I hope you'll never forget me. Know that._

_ Much love,  
__Lew._

Unable to help it, Meg raised a hand to her mouth, covering it as a strangled sob tore from her lips. She knew this was happening, but seeing it written on paper was so much harder than she had ever imagined.

How could she do this to them? Why wasn't she changing her mind?

Because deep down, she knew it was the right thing to do.

Instinctively, Adam stepped forward, wrapping his sister in a hug. At the contact, her body shook as cries poured from her, tears drenching his shirt.

"It's alright Meg," he said, rubbing her back with his hand. "It'll be alright. Whatever it is, it'll be alright."

Her hand dropped down, the letter dangling lose from her grip. Adam easily pried it away, eager to see what Lewis Nixon had said to make his sister so torn up.

As his eyes skimmed the page, his whole demeanor changed. He finished it with a sigh.

It turned out Lewis Nixon was an alright man after all.

* * *

_Okay, okay, I know. You all are probably mad and angry and sad and all those negative emotions that you could possibly be. But, before you think the phrase "cop-out" or think that I got lazy and just decided to do this, know that I had the ending written before I was even done with the first 1/4 of this story. Like I mentioned above, I'm crying. I cried when I wrote it the first time all the way back in July; I cried when I edited it tonight. It's tough, but it's how I always planned on it going._

_That being said, feel free to let me know what you think!_

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** I'm impressed you picked up a special connection with Marco! Impressed and pleased that the undercurrents of the relationship came out a bit so it wasn't completely BAM out of nowhere. I'm interested to hear what you think about this chapter...because I'm pretty sure you're not gonna be too happy with me. :( HOWEVER, if you're not ready to never talk to me again by the time you read this, I'll let you know I've been posting my Aaron fic on my Tumblr (kayteetootle) and people seem to be LOVING it hahaha. It's a little on the...uh, more PG-13 side but if you want, go check it out. Thanks for your review!_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Thanks for your review! Stunning!? The last chapter was stunning!? That's an incredible word and I don't think anyone's ever used it to describe my work before! So thank you. In regards to Meg saying "will you tell them," it's meant in reference to her whole ordeal with the General and Christian. I had originally written the scene out differently in my first draft so maybe it got a little lost in translation there. Basically, Meg didn't want to have to retell her story again, but those men all saw her beaten up and near death so obviously they're wondering what happened. That was her being caring enough to have someone tell them what happened. As for calling me cruel for separating them...I'm kinda nervous about what you're going to say to me now..._

_**ilovemedia18 -** Thank you for reviewing! Don't worry, as you can probably tell from this chapter, she's not going to Japan! And yeah, poor Lew. And poor Meg too. Poor both of them. Poor you, and poor me, and poor everyone who reads this chapter hahaha_

_**G.E. Brooks -** First I want to tell you that I have to put a space between the E. and the B of your name because otherwise FanFiction like, deletes the Brooks part. I have no idea why...or maybe it's FictionPress. Either way, I'm not taking any chances! hahah thanks for your batch of reviews today! I enjoyed them at work! I can just imagine the HUGE grumpy face you have right now...and I'm pretty sure you knew this was coming hahahaha. It DOES seem like just yesterday! I don't even remember how that happened. All I remember is sending you the bigass file transfer and thinking "oh my God she's going to kill me before this is through..." haha. Thanks for the review! Love you!_


	36. Epilogue

_Well...hasn't this been an exciting run?_

_I should preface this by saying that I'm sitting here, having just edited this final chapter, and I'm almost in tears. It's been an amazing eight months working on this story and getting to create the lives of Meg and Lew, as well as all the other characters I've created or gotten the chance to work with. And don't even get me started on the role all of you have played in this. I feel like I've gotten to know some of you so well, and it's sad to think our time together is over. No more Thursday chapters for you, no more Friday reviews for me._

_I want to take a moment to thank some people. I know, I know, you're probably thinking "Get on with it woman! We don't want to read this crap!" but just bare with me...or skip ahead to __the chapter._

_I want to thank my lovely roomie/editor Holly. She's awesome and didn't get mad when I sent her this full story a total of three separate times for her to edit. Then she read along as I __posted each chapter! I can't believe she didn't get sick of reading about Meg and Lew, but it just makes me love her even more._

_I want to thank Erica, for being awesome. Her ridiculously amazing reviews helped me push through to get each chapter out...along with her obnoxious update tweets and texts haha. Our __friendship just goes to show that FanFiction and writing can bring people together. She even puts up with my crazy Aaron obsession...that's friendship right there._

_And I want to thank everyone who's favorited this story or put it on their alerts: 3ellieb1, ActiveIngredient, amelie .girard .3892, autumnescspade, battyderp, Beebopalula, beth .rodriguez__ .77, caseylu, caught-offsides, ChastityHope13, Chrupy23, curraheegirl, coffee14, Furied-Heart, G.E .Brooks , IceColdInAlex, Igor De Souza Santos, ilovemedia18, __ImLuvinMyThesaurus, karmagrace, LatinBookReader, LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX, leapoffreedom, LesleyAnn87, Lift the Wings, listone15, LittleFlatts, LovingBOBThePacific, Macpoe55, __MaggieMcCartney, Marmite-1, melremade, MileyJ0nas989, mrssteverodgers, nixjen, PhilipMarlowe, PurpleDolphinPlush, purpleheart689, R.J .North , R.M. Kalle, Roossmit, Rose2621, __Shockin'BlueEyes, SparkELee, SuesserKaefer234, Tara6, tepaea, Uchihaheir58, Volleyball Babe22, XscouselondonerX, xXFallenSakuraXx52, xxSUIRI, ZimmyZammer, zubrowka_

_I guess that's all I have to say for now. Review responses are at the bottom as usual._

_So without further ado, the epilogue..._

* * *

**Epilogue**

_January, 1947_

It was too damn cold.

That was the thought that kept flowing through Lewis Nixon's mind as he leaned back in his desk chair, gazing out the window at the snow falling. Whenever it snowed like this he was reminded of Bastogne. Even after two years, the snow still brought back those memories. He hated it.

Sighing, he stood from his desk, strolling out of his office for the fourth time that day. He couldn't help it, the day made him restless.

"You know," Dick said, not looking up from his paperwork as Lew walked in casually. "If you keep coming into my office I'm never going to get this done in time," he said matter-of-factly, writing something on a line before looking up at his friend. "What's bothering you?"

"The snow," Lew said, walking over to plop down unceremoniously in the chair facing Dick's desk. He lifted his feet, crossing them at the ankles to rest on the corner of Dick's desk.

The loud thunk of shoe on wood made Dick glance over and frown.

"Really?" Dick asked, motioning to Lew's boots.

"Hey I bought this desk," Lew warned, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"It's her birthday," he said suddenly, causing Dick's pen to pause mid-word. "She'd be 25."

Dick, not knowing what to say to this announcement, set his pen down, turning his full attention to his friend.

Lew was never one to get sentimental; at least not on a regular basis. He also hadn't mentioned Meg since the war ended. Seeing him like this was out of character, something which always made Dick cautious.

He never heard the full story of why Lew and Meg had gone their separate ways. Lew had stated that they both wanted different things, leaving his explanation at that. "Besides, could you see Meg in Nixon, New Jersey?" he had added with a forced laugh.

It was supposed to be a joke question, so Dick didn't want to admit that he had. And he knew Nix had too.

It had been almost two years since they had said goodbye to Europe; goodbye to the war. They had gone back to their everyday lives, pretending that all of that hadn't happened. Still, Dick knew a day didn't go by without Lew thinking about the what-ifs where Meg was concerned.

When they had returned to America, Dick had taken up Lew's offer, joining him at Nixon Nitration Works as a personnel manager. The two had grown closer, if that were even possible, spending their days at the office, shouting to each other from across the hallway.

Another development to happen right upon their return was Lew's divorce. He met with Katharine the day he got back, signing the papers to get her out of his life as quickly as possible. The papers had announced her marriage to Eric Glover the next day, but Lew had ignored it, instead locking himself in an office and drinking himself to a drunken stupor. Nothing Dick could say would make his friend unlock that door until two days later. Dick knew part of it was because of the divorce, but a majority of it was him knowing he'd never had Meg. Katharine had found a new love, and Lew had lost his.

They still saw Katharine from time to time, and about once a month or so Lew spent a weekend taking care of Charles, but other than that it was as if Lew was back to being an eligible bachelor.

Dick knew better though.

Lew was falling apart, slowly but surely. Members of the town had tried setting him up with other girls, mostly ones he had grown up with but hadn't seen in years, but none of them worked. His parents had even tried to set him up on dates and, although he went willingly, none of them ever led anywhere.

No one except Dick knew why.

"What are your plans for the weekend?" Lew asked, bringing Dick back to the present.

"I dunno, probably go home and relax for two days. My job really grinds me to the bone every week," he said jokingly, earning a smirk for Lew.

"You should probably bring that up with your hardass boss, tell him to go a little softer on you," Lew replied, looking around the office before sighing. "I didn't get my weekly reports done," he admitted and Dick resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was more of a rarity when Lew _did_ get his weekly reports done.

"Well you'd better go work on those," he chose to respond, picking his pen back up.

"Eh, I don't really feel like it," Lew said as he stood up. "Today's not turning out to be a good day. I think I might just go home. Turn on some music and spend the night with my good friend Vat 69."

"Nix," Dick warned, again not looking up from his paperwork. When Lew didn't answer Dick stood up with a sigh of annoyance, following him across the hall to his office. "You know I don't mind people who drink and I know I have no place to tell you how to live your life-"

"Then don't," Lew said shortly, his tone no-nonsense. Grabbing his coat he turned and pushed past Dick, out into the hallway and to the stairs. Dick sighed again, turning to follow after his friend.

He bumped into him at the top of the stairs.

"Nix?" he asked, wondering why his friend was frozen still on the top step.

Looking around his shoulder to follow his line of sight, he was quick to see why.

Meg was standing in the middle of the office lobby, her coat draped over her arm. Looking up at both of them, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hello Lew," she said simply. Lew continued to stand there, staring at her as if seeing a ghost. Dick shook his head with humor before gently pushing his friend forward. As Lew slowly descended the stairs, Dick turned in the direction of the secretary.

"Fiona, would you come help me with some paperwork in my office? I have a question about something," he said, motioning for her to leave her desk and follow him.

Lew and Meg didn't need a public reunion.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" Meg asked as Lew came to a stop in front of her. He stayed silent for a while longer, taking her presence in. Then he reached out, brushing her face lightly with his fingers before traveling them up to push the hair out of her face softly.

"So it's not the Vat 69 then," he said, half seriously, hesitating briefly before pulling her into a tight hug. "I've missed you," he whispered into her hair, feeling like he'd said this phrase to her too much since they had met. Meg smiled, pulling away to look at him.

"I have something for you," she said, holding her hand out. Lew reached out and she dropped something cold into his hand. Looking down, his eyebrows rose when he realized what it was.

Her mother's wedding band.

Realizing the symbolism of this piece of jewelry, he looked up at her sharply.

"I've come to realize that teaching isn't my cup of tea," she started slowly. "If your offer still stands, I've changed my mind," she finished, almost afraid to hear his answer.

Lew grinned.

* * *

_One final note: if any of you want to read anything else I've written, check out my Tumblr. My name there is KayteeTootle. I have a page there devoted to my stories on FanFiction and FictionPress, along with a story I'm posting just on Tumblr. You can also find me on Twitter. My handle is XxKatie11xX._

_Also, if you could take a moment and let me know what you thought of the story as a whole, you have no idea how much I'd appreciate it. Even if it's just a one worded "amazing" or even "Boring" or anything, I want to know what everyone who read this story thought, now that it's over. I thank you in advance._

_**LovingBOBThePacific -** Phew! What fun we've had these last few months, huh? You've been one of my 100% most loyal reviewers and it means so much to me that you've stuck through this all! I hope this ending was a little more what you'd hoped for. I must address that in regards to saying I'm gorgeous, thank you hahahaha. Gorgeous isn't a word I would use to describe myself, so when someone calls me that I always feel so bashful hahaha. I'm going to miss your wonderful, entertaining reviews. You'll have to start leaving them on my Aaron story now hahahaha. Thank you so much for all your reviews, and for being such an amazing, loyal reader. I hope we stay in contact after all this is over!_

_**IceColdInAlex -** Thank you so much for all your reviews over the last few months. Hearing what you've had to say about each chapter has been so wonderful, and I thank you for taking the time to do it. I'm glad you thought the last chapter was heartbreaking, wonderful, and bittersweet. I hope this epilogue eased the pain a little bit :) Again, thank you for everything!_

_**G.E. Brooks -** E. Brooks - I don't even know where to start with you. I think I've said everything either to your face, on FB chat, AIM, in past review responses, or up at the top of this chapter. You mean so, so much to me and I'm so happy you put up with my stories. I wouldn't want anyone else to read them. Maybe someday I'll just start randomly sending you unfinished ones to give you a good laugh. And I'm shocked you're telling me editing isn't a chore...I'm someone who edits for a living, and I can tell you it IS a chore hahahaha._

_**ilovemedia18 -** I'm sorry I killed you last chapter. I hope this epilogue brought you back to life. Thank you so much for taking the time to review as much as you did. Your reviews were always lovely and wonderful and I'm going to miss them._

_**SparkELee -** Not really sure what I can say that I didn't say above (or any of the other times we've talked hahaha) but your reviews were seriously the highlights of my week. I took all of your feedback to heart and I feel that your reviews helped me grow as a person and a writer. Sometimes you saw things in my writing that I hadn't, and it's made me become more aware of what I put on paper; I read deeper into things now. I hope this fixed it enough for you!_


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